JACKSON, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) — The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release earlier today that a 22-year-old Pearl River man has pleaded guilty in federal court to Production of Child Pornography.
Federal officials announced Tuesday, August 25, 2026, that Eli Joe, 22, of Pearl River, pleaded guilty to the federal charge.
According to court documents, Joe knowingly enticed or coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the conduct. The images were then sent to Joe using the internet.
Joe is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2027. He faces a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. A federal district judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation involved the Choctaw Police Department, which is based in Neshoba County and serves the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, along with the FBI’s Safe Trails Task Force.
The Safe Trails Task Force includes investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Choctaw Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, and various state and local law enforcement agencies.
U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger and Robert Eickhoff, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jackson Office, announced the guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Kruger commended the law enforcement agencies involved in investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalleigh McCoy, are prosecuting the case.
