ST. LOUIS – Jerrell West, 32, of Forrest City, Arkansas, was sentenced right now to 18 decades in jail for touring with intent to engage in illicit sexual carry out with a insignificant.

On August 12, 2021, West was discovered responsible by jury demo in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Main Choose Rodney Sippel. 

In accordance to the government’s proof, the insignificant victim satisfied West as a result of an online software which makes it possible for consumers to make the most of movie chat and textual content communication.  Around a period of many months, West communicated with the slight victim day by day.  Numerous of these conversations ended up pleasant and causal in nature, finally foremost to discussions that were sexual in nature.  In April 2020, West educated the minor sufferer that he wished her to reside with him and would drive to the Saint Louis spot to pick her up.  West traveled from Forrest City, Arkansas to the Saint Louis space to select up the insignificant sufferer from her property. West then drove to a relaxation cease spot around 60 miles absent and sexually assaulted the minimal target.  West then drove again to the slight victim’s house to drop her off.  West was arrested in May possibly 2020 and detained pending trial.

“A youngster who is sexually abused will be pressured to deal with that trauma for daily life. We hope present-day 18-12 months sentence will empower the target to see that 100{a73b23072a465f6dd23983c09830ffe2a8245d9af5d9bd9adefc850bb6dffe13} of the blame sits squarely on baby predator Jerrell West,” mentioned Performing Specific Agent in Cost Akil Davis of the FBI St. Louis Division. “I commend Pagedale Police Office for notifying us instantly. Their fast motion enabled agents to use a massive amount of advanced strategies to produce overpowering and undeniable proof in opposition to the perpetrator.”

 The scenario was introduced as aspect of Undertaking Risk-free Childhood. In 2006, the Section of Justice established Job Risk-free Childhood, a nationwide initiative made to secure small children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Places of work and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Portion, Undertaking Secure Childhood marshals federal, condition, and regional sources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute folks who exploit small children, as properly as detect and rescue victims. For much more details about Project Harmless Childhood, remember to visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Lawyer Dianna R. Collins and Assistant United States Legal professional Colleen Lang led the prosecution staff.