U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a former youth hockey coach who sexually abused two boys and recorded the abuse to 75 years in prison.
James R. Lambert, 42, of Lake St. Louis, sexually abused one victim over 50 times between 2007 and 2018, starting when the victim was 6 years old. The sexual abuse occurred in St. Charles County, Missouri, and in other states and foreign countries where the victim was taken by Lambert. Lambert also recorded his sexual abuse of the victim on numerous occasions.
Lambert also admitted sexually abusing a second victim in St. Charles and St. Louis counties when that victim was between 6 and 9 years old.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson said Lambert displayed a “psychopathic level” of manipulation of his victims to keep them from disclosing the abuse and “true sadism” towards the children.
After the first victim came forward, an investigation discovered hundreds of files on Lambert’s electronic devices documenting his abuse of the second victim. They also found at least 1,185 files containing child sexual abuse material that Lambert obtained online.
Lambert pleaded guilty in February to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of aggravated sexual abuse.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lake St. Louis Police Department, the St. Charles County Cybercrime Task Force, and the Maryland Heights Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
