Wife of deputy sheriff and dispatcher charged with attempted sex trafficking of a child – Crime Online

A Missouri deputy sheriff and his wife were arrested for attempted sex trafficking of a child under the age of 12 and attempted use of a child in a sexual performance.

The St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department said David K. Blankenship, 39, and Karlie Blankenship, 28, were being held without bail.

The agency said it fired David Blankenship “immediately after the dispatch was informed of the allegations by members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol,” but did not say when that notification took place.

On her Facebook account, Karlie Blankenship describes herself as a “Shift Manager at St. Francois County 911.” It is not clear if she is still employed by the county.

The MSHP conducted the investigation and charges were filed Friday, KSDK reported.

The investigation began in March when investigators learned of a TikTok account owned by the deputy that had uploaded a video of alleged child abuse. A search warrant revealed that the deputy used the account and also communicated with his wife.

According to court documents, the couple engaged in “sexually-charged conversations” via direct message and shared videos of young girls they found attractive. The couple also discussed their sexual attraction to children and “how to find children nearby,” the documents say.

The messages “support the belief that the couple was actively planning to sex traffick and use a child for sexual performance,” the documents say.

An additional search warrant for the Blankenships’ home revealed further evidence.

“As these disturbing allegations continue to come to light, Sheriff (Daniel) Bullock and the entire department are angry and dismayed at this individual’s breach of the public’s trust,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

The Blankenships are being held without bail, David in the Ste. Genevieve County Jail and Karlie in the Jefferson County Jail.

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(Featured image: Karlie and David Blankenship/St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department)