Federal grand jury indicts Carl Junction man for sexually exploiting a child, child pornography

A Carl Junction man indicted by a federal grand jury today for sexual exploitation of a child and receiving child pornography allegedly committed those crimes while on probation in Jasper County after pleading guilty in 2016 to endangering the welfare of a child.

The indictment alleges Damion Spillman, 27, a former Joplin resident, "coerced a minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct."

The unsealing of the indictment took place just three days after Spillman failed to show for a bond forfeiture hearing before Judge David Mouton in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Former Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney Dean Dankelson, now a circuit court judge, filed a felony child abuse charge against Spillman in 2014 following a Joplin Police Department investigation into injuries sustained by an 18-month-old girl. Spillman was the live-in boyfriend of the child's mother.

The crime was detailed in the probable cause statement.

The investigation came after it was discovered the child had "numerous bruises and abrasions about her head and body" caused when Spillman spanked her.

From the probable cause statement:

Spillman ultimately told me that the bruises could have been from when he spanked (the child) and also had told me that he believes he spanks her out of anger because he was mad at (the child's father) for something he had done, but that he was also disciplining (the child) for something she had done.

Spillman said, "I feel like it could have been me because maybe I spank her too hard when she gets into trouble."

Spillman told me that he had spanked (the child) one time and (the child's mother) had told him he needed to calm down, but Spillman stated that he told (the mother), 'No, she needs to learn. She needs to listen."

I asked Spillman to tell me about the times when he was mad, in reference to when he would spank (the child) out of anger and Spillman told me it would be when he was mad at (the child's father).

Under a plea bargain arrangement with Prosecuting Attorney Dankelson's office, the charge against Spillman was reduced from felony child abuse to endangering the welfare of a child with the agreement presented in court by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Theresa Kenney (now prosecuting attorney) that he would not serve more than four years in prison.

Spillman did not need to worry.

On November 28, 2016, Judge David Dally sentenced Spillman to five years, but suspended the sentence, placing him on probation for five years.

A probation violation report was filed May 21, 2019 when Spillman failed to do his required community service and a hearing was scheduled for July 22.

Spillman failed to show.

On October 21, 2019, when Spillman finally attended a hearing, Judge David Mouton added a year to his probation.

Another probation violation was filed April 3, 2020 and another violation was reported June 9, 2020.

Spillman failed to show for an August 3 hearing so Mouton rescheduled the hearing for October 5.

Spillman attended that hearing, but did not have an attorney, so Mouton provided him with public defender application forms and rescheduled the hearing to December 14. Spillman failed to appear and Mouton issued a warrant for his arrest.

A bond forfeiture hearing was set for Monday.

Spillman was nowhere in sight.

A representative of the bond company asked Mouton for an extension to allow him time to find Spillman.

Mouton continued the hearing to 9 a.m. April 12.

A tip to the bond company representative. He can find Spillman in the Greene County Jail.