Marionville man accused of exchanging explicit messages with teen

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. — A Marionville man was arrested and charged after allegedly exchanging sexually explicit text messages with a 17-year-old girl.

James William Roper, 54, is charged with possession of child pornography and providing pornographic material to a minor, according to online court records.

A probable cause statement from the Aurora-Marionville Police Department (AMPD) stated that investigators first interviewed the victim in August 2024 and that his mother turned the victim’s phone over to police.

Investigators found that Roper and the teen exchanged more than 1,000 messages via Facebook and Instagram, many of which contained pornographic images of the victim. Police also found evidence that Roper took screenshots of conversations before deleting the content from his account, and suggested the victim do the same to prevent her parents from discovering them.

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During an interview with police, documents say the victim referred to Roper as his “source of income” because he received money, gifts and alcohol in exchange for the photos. The victim also reported participating in sexual acts with Roper.

AMPD executed a search warrant at Roper’s home on November 6, 2024, seizing Roper’s cell phone and several other electronic devices. Roper’s phone contained numerous pornographic images, documents say.

The documents also say Roper said in an interview with AMPD investigators that he was “largely uncooperative” and that he was not surprised by his arrest due to his activities and relationship with the victim. When an AMPD detective informed him that he was going to prison and asked if he had anything to say for himself, he replied, “The evidence is already against me.”

The probable cause affidavit states that police are still reviewing thousands of photos from other devices seized while searching Roper’s home.

Roper is currently being held without bail in the Lawrence County Jail.

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