A southeastern Missouri man has been found guilty of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig delivered the verdict after a one-day bench trial on Tuesday.
Rayford Evans, 52, was convicted for using his cell phone to record a 15-year-old girl while she was bathing and using the bathroom. Evidence presented at the trial revealed that Evans held his phone up to a window above the bathroom door to capture the footage. The victim noticed the phone and reported it to a friend, who then informed her father and subsequently her own father, leading them to contact law enforcement.
Evans, who resides in Doniphan, Ripley County, is scheduled for sentencing later this year. The charge he faces carries a potential prison sentence ranging from 15 to 30 years.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI alongside the Doniphan City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter is handling the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute offenders exploiting children via the Internet while also working to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.