AG arrests ‘John Doe 44,’ a Picayune police sergeant accused of child sex crimes
A Picyaune police sergeant fired from his job Wednesday has been arrested in a child exploitation case after the FBI asked for the public’s assistance in identifying him.
Joshua Christopher Stockstill, 29, has been arrested on child exploitation charges, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office has confirmed: 4 counts of distribution, one count of lustful touching, and 1 count of production.
Stockstill was arrested at the Picayune Police Department, said Assistant Chief James Bolton. Bolton said Stockstill did not turn himself in but would not release any further details about his arrest or the charges, referring all calls to the attorney general’s office. He also said Stockstill was fired as soon as the department learned about the case.
The arrest came hours after the FBI released a photo and information Wednesday about a child exploitation case and sought the public’s help in identifying Stockstill, described in the news release as “John Doe 44.”
The FBI news release said that John Doe 44 was “shown with a child” in a video recorded in February by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Data embedded with video files indicated they were recorded before November 2018, the FBI news release said.
The FBI also said that John Doe 44 “may have critical information pertaining to the identity of a child victim in an ongoing sexual exploitation investigation” and emphasized that he had not been charged with a crime.
The FBI said the case is part of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) initiatives in partnership with the NCMEC.
A news release from NCMEC said:
“Every day, we analyze images of child sexual abuse with the hope of identifying a clue that will lead us to the location where a child is being abused. One of the most useful clues is when we find an adult face in the imagery. Law enforcement can make that information publicly available during their investigation.”
“ . . . In the case of John Doe 44, the plan worked. Within hours of the FBI releasing his photo to the public, he was identified and arrested.”
Child sexual abuse material can be reported online to the NCMEC or by calling 1-800-843-5678.
