Man gets ‘serious punishment’ for enticing underage Belleville girl for sex
A Jefferson County, Missouri, man was sentenced to 50 years in a federal prison for luring an underage Belleville girl to a hotel and taking pictures of the two having sex.
Graphic images of the teenage girl taken by Earl G. Rice Jr., 63, were shown to the jury during a five-day trial held in October in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois in Benton. Jurors also saw surveillance footage from the hotel and heard testimony about DNA evidence connecting Rice to his crimes.
The jury found Rice guilty and, on Friday, U.S. District Judge Staci Yandle handed down a sentence that will keep Rice in prison for the remainder of his natural life.
“Serious crimes deserve serious punishment, and we are very satisfied with the 50-year sentence imposed on Earl Rice. Nothing could be more important than keeping children safe from sex offenders,” said United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “This case is another reminder for parents to be vigilant about their kids’ online activity and to monitor the apps on their phones.”
According to the indictment and evidence presented during the trial, Rice chatted with the girl through an online dating app and quickly proposed meeting her in Belleville to have sex. On Valentine’s Day of 2018, Rice arrived in Belleville with alcohol, condoms and a candle, met the girl and took her to an area hotel, court records alleged.
Belleville Police took Rice into custody at the hotel the next day. Images of the crimes were recovered from his cell phone and a forensic exam was performed, according to court records. Illinois State Police and the FBI assisted in the investigation.
Belleville Police Department conducted the investigation, along with support from the Illinois State Police, and FBI-Springfield and Saint Louis Divisions. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and Karelia Rajagopal.
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.