KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to traveling across state lines intending to engage in sexual activity with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
James D. Fishbaugh, 53, of Blue Springs, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The guilty plea establishes Fishbaugh’s responsibility for the federal offense. His sentencing remains pending.
In August 2025, Fishbaugh began communicating through social media with an undercover FBI agent posing as a minor. During the conversation, the agent represented herself as a 14-year-old girl.
Fishbaugh responded by claiming that he was 49 years old. He then directed the exchange toward sexual activity and told the undercover agent that he “would love to meet you sometime.”
On August 22, 2025, Fishbaugh left his residence in Blue Springs and drove across the state line from Missouri to a designated meeting location in Kansas. He stopped for condoms during the trip.
Federal agents arrested Fishbaugh when he arrived at the meeting location. No actual child was present or placed in direct contact with him.
Following his arrest, Fishbaugh told officers that he believed the person communicating with him was a real 14-year-old girl. He also admitted that he traveled to the residence intending to have sex with the minor.
The federal charge focuses on traveling with the required criminal intent. The absence of an actual child at the location did not remove the conduct from federal prosecution because Fishbaugh admitted what he believed and why he crossed the state line.
Fishbaugh is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, applicable federal law and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting it for the District of Kansas.
The prosecution was brought through Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative established in May 2006 to coordinate efforts against child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. The initiative combines federal, state and local resources to identify offenders who target children through the internet, locate victims and pursue criminal prosecutions.
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I am so thankful that they caught this guy before he could cause some real damage and who knows what his past holds. The articles in this batch of stories about sexual crimes is very disheartening. Our prisons are going to be full of people that are in bondage to sexual desires that are not acceptable to God or to (for now) the society we live in. I am thankful that each of those involved in these deeds described in these articles have been caught and will be held accountable for their crimes. I appreciate Project Safe Childhood and all of those who are joining together to try and stop this horrible scourge.
Thank you for these articles. I hope you have a great evening, John.
Thank you very much, and you’re very welcome, Chris.
I completely agree. Anyone who deliberately targets children must be stopped and held accountable, and I am grateful this operation ended with Fishbaugh in custody rather than an actual child being harmed. These kinds of people are relentless, to say the least.
Publishing several of these cases has been deeply troubling, but the public needs to understand how serious and widespread this problem has become. I receive a tremendous number of these cases in my inbox every single day. Obviously, I cannot publish every one of them, but there are far more than most people realize. Project Safe Childhood and everyone involved in protecting children deserve recognition for doing work that often prevents harm before the public ever hears about it.
Thank you again for reading and supporting these articles, Chris. I hope you have a great evening as well and a great day ahead. 😎
You’re welcome, John, and thank you very much for this reply.
Every time I hear Tim Tebow on this subject, which is pretty often, (I am also following the Tim Tebow Foundation on Facebook) he gives statistics about this problem and they are usually stunning. So, I am not surprised by the mail on this subject in your inbox. I am glad that you publish information about this because people need to know how bad the problem is.
Thanks again, John, for your attempt to educate the public and I hope you have a great day as well!😊