Northern District of Mississippi | Sexual predator sentenced to 30 years in federal prison

OXFORD, Miss. – U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Joshua Chasestefan Anderson, a 29-year-old Desoto County man, to 30 years in prison for filming his sexual assault on at least two minors. According to court documents, while investigating the sexual assault of an adult acquaintance, Detective William Boliek of the Southaven Police Department discovered videos Anderson had recorded and saved of the sexual assaults of at least two minors on his cell phone. Anderson was identified by a distinctive physical mark on his left hand. Anderson was charged with sexual exploitation of minors and previously pleaded guilty.

In addition to a 30-year prison sentence, Anderson was also sentenced to lifelong parole and must register as a sex offender regardless of where he lives, works, attends school or temporarily resides.

“After choosing to victimize innocent children for his own twisted sexual gratification, this defendant deserves every day of the 30-year sentence imposed in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “I greatly appreciate the efforts of AUSA Parker King and Detective Boliek, and removing this individual from free society is an important step toward making our county a safer place.”

“Thanks to the outstanding work done in this investigation and as part of this prosecution, today’s conviction has removed a sexual predator from the streets of our community,” said Southaven Police Chief Brent Vickers. “While we cannot undo the harm done to these victims, the Southaven Police Department will leave no stone unturned when it comes to investigating and holding accountable sex offenders who choose to victimize minors and innocent citizens.”

Southaven police investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online, and to identify and rescue victims. The goal of Project Safe Childhood is to reduce the incidence of child sexual exploitation.