ST. LOUIS - Eric Feltner, chief of staff to Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, resigned Friday after being charged with attempting to deliver pornographic materials to a minor, St. Louis Business Journal reported.
In charges filed May 21 in Cole County Circuit Court, county prosecutors allege that on May 25 and July 6, 2007, Feltner presented pornographic materials online to someone younger than 18.
According to a probable-cause statement signed by Jefferson City police officer Chad Stieferman, Feltner contacted Stieferman on Yahoo Instant Messenger, believing through previous chat conversations that the undercover officer was a 13-year-old girl.
Under the screen name "thebestinmo," Feltner reportedly wrote sexually explicit messages to the undercover officer.
"At no time was our office notified of this alleged misconduct by a member of my staff," Kinder said. "While these allegations have yet to be proven, I feel that even the appearance of impropriety on such a disturbing scale cannot be tolerated. I have made it clear to my staff that I will not accept even the appearance of this type of troubling behavior by anyone in my office.
"Within an hour of my learning of these charges, and at my direction, an immediate internal review began of Mr. Feltner's state email account, state computer and any other electronic mediums by the state Office of Administration."
Attempting to deliver pornographic materials to a minor is a class C misdemeanor.
Kinder appointed Feltner his chief of staff in December 2007 after serving as deputy lieutenant governor. Feltner was district director in Congressman Kenny Hulshof's office for eight years.
