A Lexington man has pled guilty to multiple felonies involving the exploitation of children.

Lafayette County Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Hillbrener announced that 44-year-old Jose Zuniga, of Lexington, pled guilty on June 1, to four counts of statutory sodomy, four counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of possession of child pornography. Charges were filed in February of 2025, after law enforcement had been notified that the defendant possibly possessed child pornography. A search warrant was served on the defendant’s residence and child pornography was located. A child was identified in some of the images and videos and the child disclosed during a forensic interview, conducted at Child Safe in Sedalia, that she had been photographed by the defendant.

Per the plea agreement, the defendant was sentenced to a total of 50 years in the Department of Corrections, with him being statutorily required to serve at least eighty-five percent of sentence prior to being eligible for parole.

This investigation began because individuals in the community believed something harmful was going on so they reported it to law enforcement. To report suspected abuse, please call the Missouri Child Abuse Hotline 24/7 at 1-800-392-3738.