Joplin man ordered held without bond on child pornography charge

Following a preliminary hearing and detention hearing this morning in U. S. District Court in Springfield, Judge David P. Rush ordered David Pierce, 51, Joplin, held without bond while awsiting trial on a child pornography charge.

Pierce was charged Wednesday following a Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and Joplin Police Department investigation, which started after a hotline complaint was made about a seven-year-old boy's inappropriate actions at school.







The probable cause affidavit alleges Pierce, who was staying at the home of a Joplin woman, showed child pornography to two underage boys and fondled one of them.

After executing a search warrant for Pierce's phone, investigators found 1,217 child pornography images, according to the affidavit.