Linn County man sentenced to 30 years for recording abuse of minor

by Chloe Ireland-Killday, KOMU 8 Digital Producer

A Linn County man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for recording himself having sexual contact with a 10-year-old girl, according to a news release from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Russell Alan Pirkey, 54, used his cell phone to record his sexual exploitation of the 10-year-old, but the abuse lasted months, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman said in court Tuesday. The victim said the abuse began in August 2022 after Pirkey began grooming her. The victim was 9 years old at the time.

Pirkey’s crime was discovered in April 2023 when someone with concerns about his contact with the victim contacted the Brookfield Police Department, according to the news release.

Pirkey pleaded guilty in September 2024 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a charge of sexual exploitation of a child, according to the news release.