Former Grain Valley cop sentenced in federal court for child sex crimes
A former Grain Valley, Missouri, police officer was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity with a juvenile he met on social media.
August Price Gildehaus, 30, of Blue Springs, pleaded guilty to one count each of enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and production of child pornography on Feb. 25, 2025, according to a plea agreement filed in federal court.
According to a news release from David Ketchmark, spokesperson for U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price, Gildehaus admitted that he had engaged in illegal sexual activity with a minor and met with them on five separate occasions between Aug. 5, 2022 and Jan. 5, 2023.
Gildehaus also admitted to taking photographs and videos of himself and the pair’s encounters, according to the news release.
Gildehaus told investigators he had been communicating with the juvenile online since August 2022, through social media platforms Discord and Omegle.
The Grain Valley Police Department initially placed Gildehaus on administrative leave before firing him in April 2023.
Officers at the Grain Valley Police Department were called to investigate a missing juvenile on March 5, 2023, according to court documents. The juvenile came home later that day and told investigators they had been in a sexual relationship with a man later identified as Gildehaus.
After he is released from prison, Gildehaus will be on supervised release for life, according to the news release. He will be required to register as a sex offender.
The Star’s Ilana Arougheti contributed reporting.
This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 8:19 PM.
