ST. LOUIS – A former Lindenwood University and youth hockey coach appeared in federal court on Wednesday and admitted sexually abusing two underage children and recording that abuse.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said James R. Lambert, 42, produced child pornography involving two juveniles and possessed illicit material featuring several other unidentified juveniles.
Lambert was indicted on June 28, 2023. He initially pleaded not guilty.
However, Lambert reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors and pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of aggravated sexual abuse.
According to the federal indictment, Lambert allegedly convinced two underage youths to perform sex acts and filmed them. He admitted abusing one victim between 2007 and 2018, when the child was between 6 and 17 years of age. He admitted abusing the other victim when that child was between 6 and 9 years of age.
When the first victim came forward to report the abuse, he told investigators he suspected Lambert was also abusing the younger victim. The older victim said the abuse happened in St. Charles County and that Lambert took him to other states and countries and abused him there, too.
Investigators found hundreds of files on Lambert’s electronic devices documenting his abuse of the second victim. They also discovered nearly 1,200 files containing child sexual abuse material, which Lambert said he’d obtained online.
At the time of the indictment, Lambert was already in custody on similar accusations. He’s facing charges of statutory sodomy and child molestation in St. Charles County Circuit Court and statutory sodomy and sexual exploitation of a child in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
Lambert will be sentenced on June 18. Prosecutors will ask Lambert to be sentenced to 50 years in federal prison.
In the meantime, local and federal prosecutors are asking anyone with information on other potential victims to contact the Lake St. Louis Police Department by calling 636-625-8018 or emailing policetips@lakesaintlouis.com.
