Registered Sex Offender from Bonne Terre Sentenced to 20 Years on Child Pornography Charge

St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A Bonne Terre man who was previously convicted of statutory rape has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after admitting to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material through Snapchat.

32-year-old Michael A. Driemeier was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Following his prison sentence, Driemeier will remain on supervised release for life.

According to federal prosecutors, the investigation began in November of 2024 when the Missouri State Highway Patrol received information from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children alleging Driemeier had distributed child sexual abuse material, commonly referred to as CSAM, using Snapchat.

Investigators located Driemeier on January 9, 2025, while he was shopping with a young child. Authorities say he consented to a search of his cell phone, which uncovered child sexual abuse material as well as exchanges of illegal material with another Snapchat user.

Court records state Driemeier later admitted to obtaining and sharing the material with others online. As part of his plea agreement, prosecutors say Driemeier also admitted raping a 20-year-old female acquaintance in a hotel room in February of 2024.

Driemeier pleaded guilty in February to possession of child pornography as a prior offender.

Federal authorities noted Driemeier had previously been convicted in St. Francois County Circuit Court on April 6, 2018, for second-degree statutory rape involving a 13-year-old victim. He was sentenced to five years in prison in that case.