Early Thursday morning, detectives with the Boone County Sheriff's Department Cyber Crimes Task Force arrested a 29 year old Jefferson City man on a variety of sexual offenses regarding the solicitation of a minor child.
The suspect was identified as Jeremy Ryan Bappert, 29, of 815 Locust Street. He was arrested on suspicion of the distribution of child pornography, the possession of child pornography, attempted statutory rape, attempted statutory sodomy and patronizing prostitution
This investigation began the first week of July when the task force received information that Bappert had reportedly been offering money to have sexual contact with a young child.
Investigators began an undercover investigation posing as a mother of a child who would allow such contact with her for money.
During the next few weeks Bappert negotiated with the child's mother regarding payment for this service.
Bappert sent the child's mother child pornography depicting a 9-year-old girl in an attempt to gain the mother's trust.
Arrangements were made for to meet the child's decoy mother Thursday morning at a specific Columbia location where Bappert would give the woman the agreed upon payment.
When Bappert arrived at the meeting site, he was arrested by undercover detectives and his cellular telephone was seized.
Authorities said there were over 20 photographs of child pornography on the device. Children depicted in these photographs are believed to be as young as toddlers.