Former Prison Guard Hart Sentenced

(St. Louis, MO) A former Missouri prison guard, 37 year old Carl Hart of Farmington, who worked at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, is facing seven years in prison. Hart, who was convicted of assaulting an inmate and possessing child pornography, was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court. Records show on October 28th, 2021, after a verbal disagreement with an inmate and Hart ordered the victim out of his office. Later, when the victim did not immediately return to his cell during a lockdown he was pepper sprayed and went to the shower to wash off the spray. Hart followed and struck the victim. After the victim left the shower and was on the ground, handcuffed and compliant, Hart struck the victim again. Hart was a sergeant and had worked for the Department of Corrections for 10 years at the time.

                          In a separate investigation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip about suspected child pornography in Hart’s Dropbox account. The Missouri Highway Patrol Digital Forensics Unit found child pornography in Dropbox and on one of Hart’s phones. Hart pled guilty in May to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of possession of child pornography.