Source: US FBI
ABERDEEN, MS – A South Carolina man was sentenced today to over 17 years in prison for transporting a minor from North Carolina to Louisiana and through Mississippi with the intent for the minor to engage in sexual conduct.
According to court documents, Randy Taylor, 35 years old, of Columbia, South Carolina, solicited a minor online to engage in sexual activity with him. Taylor picked up the 12-year-old outside her home in his 18-wheeler and took the child to Louisiana where he recorded a sexual interaction between the two. Once alerted to the missing child, FBI Agents began tracking the minor and were able to rescue the child at a Vaiden, Mississippi truck stop. The minor was returned home safely to her family.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Taylor today to 210 months followed by 10 years of supervised release.
“This defendant earned every year of this sentence when he transported a 12-year-old child across state lines and sexually assaulted her,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Parker King and our partners at the FBI and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office have demonstrated that there will be zero tolerance for those who would take advantage of innocent victims.”
“Thank God this child’s life was saved and her victimization ended. We certainly appreciate the cooperation and teamwork from the FBI and everyone involved. We do not tolerate child sex predators operating in Carroll County. We remain committed to protecting children from predators. Parents should be more vigilant than ever concerning their children’s online activities. Unfortunately, these types of cases don’t always end this well,” said Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker.
“Randy Taylor’s predatory action of soliciting a minor to indulge in his sexual fantasies was appalling,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our partners to stopping crimes against children. Our children are our most vulnerable citizens. Through impactful programs such as Project Safe Childhood, those who seek to harm them will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice. The Jackson and Charlotte FBI Field Offices; MS Department of Public Safety; Carrol County Sheriff’s Office; and the Cherokee Indian Police Department in North Carolina, will never fail to protect the innocence of minors from predators like Mr. Taylor.”
The FBI and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.