ST. LOUIS — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.

ST. LOUIS – A man from Ballwin, Missouri on Thursday admitted distributing child pornography and engaging in sexual contact with underage girls he’d approached on Snapchat.

Luke Edward Nicozisin, 22, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig to one count of distribution of child pornography.

Nicozisin admitted sending nude images of himself to three 15-year-old girls and one 12-year-old girl, soliciting nude pictures of a 15-year-old and having sex with two 15-year-old girls. He also recorded videos of himself having sex with one of the 15-year-olds. Nicozisin initially approached the girls via Snapchat.

One of his victims reported Nicozisin to a school resource officer on July 28, 2021, prompting Nicozisin’s initial arrest.

Other victims came forward that October. On Oct. 20, 2021, a court-approved search was conducted of Nicozisin’s home, and investigators found an iPhone containing multiple pictures of videos of himself with one of the victims as well as condoms that depicted Nicozisin’s Instagram account.

At his sentencing, scheduled for July 7, Nicozisin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.

The FBI, the Manchester Police Department and the Chesterfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.