Former Lake Viking Security Officer pleads guilty to child pornography

Jay C. Guhlke, 34, of Polo pled guilty to three counts of child pornography on Sept. 24 in Daviess County Circuit Court. Sentencing is set for Nov. 4 before Judge Ryan Horsman. Guhlke had been scheduled for a jury trial on Oct. 1 in Daviess County Circuit Court.
Guhlke is also facing multiple charges in Caldwell County and Clinton County.
In Caldwell County in May 2020, he was charged with eight counts of promoting child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, five counts of sexual trafficking of a child under 18, and five counts of statutory sodomy. In Clinton County, he was charged in June 2020 with sexual trafficking of a child under 12, sexual trafficking of child under 18, and two counts of statutory sodomy.
In the Daviess County case, Guhlke was arrested Feb. 22, 2019, after an investigation was conducted by Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, specifically the Digital Forensics Investigative Unit. The Patrol was assisted by the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office and the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the probable cause statement filed by the Highway Patrol, the HP investigator downloaded a pornographic video file from an IP address which was registered to Mid-States Services of Grundy County. Mid-States responded to a court-ordered subpoena indicating the IP address was being used at the account of the Lake Viking Security Office in Daviess County. The investigator downloaded the same video file from a device at an IP address being used at the home of Guhlke in Polo.
Investigators then executed a search warrant at Guhlke’s residence located on South Highway 13 in Polo. As a result of their search, investigators seized child pornography and computer equipment. While the search was being executed at Guhlke’s residence, additional officers located Guhlke at his place of employment, the Lake Viking Security Office. Investigators also executed a second search warrant on electronic equipment, which was on his person, and additional child pornography and computer equipment were seized.
During a post-Miranda interview, Guhlke admitted he uses BitTorrent software to download files showing child pornography. He admitted to having sexual contact with at least three children while he was an adult. He also admitted that in the past seven years at his home near Polo he had sexual contact with a female child around age 10, and he recorded himself making the sexual contact.
The formal charges against Guhlke, filed by Daviess County Prosecuting Attorney Annie Gibson, are promoting child pornography, B felony, possession of child pornography, B felony, and possession of child pornography, D felony. On the two class B felonies, Guhlke could receive 5 to 15 years in the Department of Corrections on each count. On the class D felony, he is facing up to one year in the county jail or up to seven years in the Department of Corrections.
The Division of Drug and Crime Control encourages Internet users to report promptly to the Patrol or local law enforcement anyone who attempts to engage in unwanted, inappropriate, or sexualized communications with children. The Digital Forensics Investigative Unit is partially funded by the Missouri Department of Public Safety State Cyber Crime Grant and the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.