WEST PLAINS, Mo. – A man from West Plains has been sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for child sex crimes.

According to a press release from the West Plains Police Department, Gairry R. Bakken, 53, will serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for the receipt and distribution of child pornography.

In February 2021, the Southwest MO Cyber Task Force worked with the National Center of Missing & Exploited Children to find a Facebook account that displayed child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

In March 2021, the investigation led to a search warrant at Bakken’s home which resulted in the seizure of files depicting CSAM. He admitted that he received the files from various social media applications.