JEFFERSON CITY, MO — Missouri State Highway Patrol Corporal Adam McAtee was named the Missouri State Team Member of the Month for July after leading a yearlong child exploitation investigation that ended with three children recovered and two suspects charged federally. McAtee, who works as a special victims investigator, was recognized during a ceremony at General Headquarters on July 31. The case began as an effort to find one suspect and one unidentified child linked to a human trafficking investigation. As the work expanded, investigators uncovered additional victims and broadened the case.
How the case began
The investigation started in November 2024 after a law enforcement officer in Minnesota contacted McAtee with information from a separate arrest. Evidence suggested that a man taken into custody there had been communicating with a Missouri man about trafficking a child. Investigators quickly identified the Missouri suspect, but the child’s identity was still unknown. That initial lead set off a longer effort that would eventually connect agencies in several states and pull in additional evidence as the case developed.
More victims identified
While following the original lead, McAtee identified another child victim of exploitation. He then organized a multi-agency team to carry out a search warrant at a home in the Kansas City area, where investigators found a third child victim. The case continued to grow as investigators worked through online evidence and other leads. The effort showed how a single investigation can uncover multiple victims when officers keep pressing beyond the first suspect and first location.
Technology helped recovery
Investigators later used facial recognition technology and online photo albums to identify and locate the original child victim in Georgia. Law enforcement officers there safely recovered the child, completing a key part of the case. The use of digital tools, combined with cooperation among agencies, helped investigators move from an unknown victim to a confirmed recovery. Officials said that kind of work is central to special victims investigations, where time, coordination and attention to detail can make a major difference.
Leaders praise the work
The investigation led to the arrests of two suspects, both of whom have been charged in federal indictments filed in the Western District of Missouri. Department of Public Safety Director Mark James said McAtee’s persistence in finding child victims, identifying suspects and coordinating the response showed an exceptional commitment to protecting children. Missouri State Highway Patrol Colonel Michael Turner said the case reflects the purpose of the Special Victims Unit created in 2024 within the Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control. Turner also pointed to McAtee’s 25-year career with the Highway Patrol.
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