Articles Posted in Sex Offense Crimes

A DNA test shows that a man from Hancock County, Mississippi fathered the 18-month-old child of his teenage victim, according to WLBT-TV. Officials say that the investigation began in early January 2023 when deputies were called to speak with a 16-year-old girl who alleged that she had been molested and raped over the past several years. After obtaining DNA samples and running a paternity test, investigators obtained evidence that the man was in fact the father of the child. 

Additionally, reports indicate that deputies learned of additional sex crimes allegedly committed by the man in other jurisdictions, such as Louisiana. The man has since been arrested and charged with sexual battery as well as molestation. He is currently being housed at the Hancock County Adult Detention Center on a $200,000 bond in addition to a hold for Vernon Parrish Sheriff’s Office. 

How Does Mississippi Define Sexual Battery?

The internet has become an important part of our daily lives, offering us access to information, entertainment, and communication. However, the accessibility of the worldwide web also makes it a platform for various criminal activities, including sex crimes.

Internet sex crimes are a serious problem in Mississippi and across the country. The possession, distribution, or creation of child pornography, online solicitation of a minor, and sex trafficking are all illegal and society would say are morally reprehensible acts that can have devastating consequences for the victims. Law enforcement agencies and individuals alike must work together to prevent these crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.

What Internet Sex Crimes are Common in Mississippi?

According to WDAM-7, Jackson County, Mississippi is beginning to see an uptick in child pornography extortion, or “sextortion” cases. Jackson County Sheriff, Mike Ezell, has taken it upon himself to try to warn parents about a social media scam that has been circulating and has resulted in an increase in child pornography extortion cases. According to Ezell, fake Snapchat accounts are created, and the account holder pretends to be a child. The account holder then asks other children for nude photographs, and once the photographs are sent, the child in the picture is then instructed to send money or it will be leaked. 

As of late, the sheriff’s department has not been able to charge anyone yet because so far all of the cases have involved scammers from other countries, which is a problem in itself. Ezell added that, “it’s almost impossible to find, prosecute, or arrest them.” 

What is Extortion?

Recently, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas announced that an El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 160 months (13 years) in prison for receipt and distribution of a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to court documents, the man used a fake social media account to share dozens of files containing Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) in a group chat over a three-day period between December 31, 2020 and January 2, 2021.

Investigators located the man’s residence and identified additional online accounts where he kept files containing CSEM.   In a statement to media, the Office noted, “Predators contemplating to exploit children should heed this Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigation and the sentence handed down . . . . HSI and our law enforcement partners continue to work tirelessly to protect our greatest asset–our children–and focus on arresting and prosecuting those who seek to victimize them.”

A child sex abuse charge and conviction can have a lasting impact on your life even when you know you have not committed the crime. Significant penalties and permanent damage to your reputation are direct results of this type of criminal conviction.

A conviction for child molestation can include: jail time, probation, fines, lifetime sex offender registration, loss of employment or professional licenses and/or loss of child custody.

False Accusations

A rookie player for the Philadelphia Eagles has been indicted on rape and kidnapping charges, according to Dave Zangaro with NBC Sports. The Eagles player, offensive lineman Josh Sills, was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State this past spring and is just finishing up his rookie season in the NFL. Sills played in just one game this season. He has been inactive for the Eagles’ two playoff games this season.

Sills was indicted by a Guernsey County (Ohio) Common Pleas Court grand jury on one count of rape and one count of kidnapping at the age of 25. Both charges are first-degree felonies. According to a press release from the Ohio Attorney General’s office, these charges stem from an incident that occurred in December 2019. The indictment says, “Sills engaged in sexual activity that was not consensual and held a victim against her will. The crime was immediately reported, and the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office conducted a detailed investigation.” Sills has been placed on the Commissioner Exempt List by the NFL. While on the list, he will not be permitted to practice, play, or travel with the Eagles, but he will still be paid. Before the NFL placed Sills on this list, the Eagles released the following statement: “The organization is aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills. We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time.”

The details of the incident from the alleged victim are graphic and some may find them triggering. A woman told police that a male, whom she later identified as Sills, dropped her and her cousin off at her cousin’s place, where they were staying. According to the woman, after her cousin exited the vehicle, Sills grabbed her by her ponytail and tried to kiss her. When another vehicle pulled up behind them, he grabbed her by her neck, throwing her down and getting on top of her so no one would see. The woman stated that she repeatedly told Sills to stop and to let her go inside, but he forced her to perform oral sex on him. The woman identified the man who did this to her as Sills, someone she had gone to high school with and has known for 7 or 8 years.

A man in Virginia just received what is believed to be the longest sentence in the history of Wythe County. One may wonder how many people he must have killed or what terroristic act he must have committed to deserve an historically long prison sentence. In fact, Curtis Spurlock is a sexual predator, not a murderer or a terrorist. He was found guilty of several sexual offenses committed against his own children, earning him a sentence of six consecutive life sentences with an additional twenty year sentence.