Feds say man traveled to Belleville to have sex with a child. Now he’s going to prison
A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for traveling from Missouri to Belleville to engage in sex with a minor.
William E. Jackson of Pevely, Missouri, received the sentence on Thursday in federal court in East St. Louis on the charges of attempted enticement of a minor and travel with intent to engage in sex with a minor. He had previously pleaded guilty to the charges, according to federal court records.
According to court documents, an FBI agent working undercover found an online ad posted by Jackson and responded to it in April 2020.
Jackson’s post indicated his interest in incest. The undercover FBI agent offered Jackson the opportunity to meet a fictitious 10-year-old female minor for purposes of sexual contact. Jackson agreed to do so.
On May 6, 2020, Jackson traveled from Missouri to Belleville to meet the fictitious 10-year-old minor for sex, according to authorities.
When Jackson arrived at the meeting location, he was arrested by FBI agents. After he was arrested, the agents seized his cellphone and they found child pornography on it.
Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, said, “Significant sentences like the one announced today are appropriate because those who try to sexually abuse children deserve justice in proportion to the deviance of their behavior. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases and do all we can to protect children.”
The FBI Springfield Division conducted the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hoell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Kapsak.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel handed down the sentence.
