Bastrop man to spend 25 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child

BASTROP, Texas - A Bastrop man was sentenced in federal court to 25 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor,

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Texas, 41-year-old Stuart Mitchell Pieper was a member of a private chat group on a social networking app and in July and August 2023, he posted multiple images depicting the sexual abuse of children. 

Pieper also discussed, in group chat and in direct messages, how he was "grooming" female children for sexual activity.

The Attorney's Office said a search warrant was executed on Aug.12, 2023, with phones and laptops seized. 

A preliminary search of Pieper's cell phone revealed images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Pieper was arrested on the same day by state authorities in Bastrop County and was transferred into federal custody on Nov. 13, 2023.

Pieper was indicted for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and pleaded guilty to the charges on April 18, 2024.