SPRINGFIELD -- A former tanning salon owner accused in state court of videotaping his customers appears to have vanished. Also, Brett Kent now faces federal child pornography charges.

Police say Kent secretly taped women using his tanning beds in 2005 at 360 Degree Tan on East Republic Road. He was scheduled to be in court Tuesday for a pre-trial conference but didn't show up.

Kent faces more than 20 state charges of invasion of privacy and at least 12 civil lawsuits from women who say he taped them while they were undressing and nude in the tanning suites. On Wednesday, federal prosecutors added to his trouble, charging him with producing and possessing child pornography because six of his customers were under 18.

Kent has shown up for other pre-trial conference but this week it was different and Greene County Assistant Posecuting Attorney Tyson Martin isn't sure why.

"All I know is that he didn't show up for court and a warrant was issued for his arrest. That's as much information as we have," said Martin.

In addition to issuing a warrant, Circuit Judge Tom Mountjoy also set a bond forfeiture hearing for March 9.

For more than a year police and prosecutors have been investigating Kent. Last December, police raided his business and say they found a pin hole camera near one of his tanning beds. They say they found videos of six minor women and many images of adult women on a computer at the business.

Kent was initially charged with two counts of invasion of privacy and faced the possibility of up to four years in prison for each conviction. Prosecutors later added 20 more charges.

Kent's defense attorney, Shawn Askinosie, is fighting the charges on grounds that he believes the invastion of privacy law is unconstitutional.

"I'ts unusual in this instance because this is a defendant who has retained an attorney and shown up for court at every other appearance and has posted a sizable bond," said Martin.

Askinose also doesn't know where Kent is. He hasn't heard from his client but says Kent's parents contacted him to say Kent left a note saying he was leaving but didn't say where he was going.

Askinose says he wants his client to come back to Springfield. Martin says the women he's accused of videotaping agree.

"Unfortunately, this drags the case out that much longer. We can't proceed until he's apprehended and brought back to Greene County," said Martin.

The warrant information about Kent is in a national computer and sent to police departments nationwide. Because of the case, Springfield is considering new regulations over tanning salons.

The seven-count federal indictment charges Kent with producing and
possessing child pornography. It says law officers found nearly 15,000 images and 53 video files at Kent's home.