A federal jury found Rusty Joseph Whittaker, 44, of Austin, Texas, guilty on Thursday of traveling to Charlotte to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
Gastonia man arrested for alleged child exploitation
Whittaker was also convicted of enticing a minor and producing child pornography during a four-day trial in Charlotte. The verdict was announced by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children,” said Ferguson. “Thanks to the exceptional work of the FBI, CMPD, and the federal prosecutors in this office, this predator was identified, found, and brought to justice.”
According to court documents and trial evidence, Whittaker met the minor on an online platform called Antiland, which provides anonymity and deletes messages automatically. He later moved the conversation to Snapchat, which also deletes messages automatically.
Whittaker used these platforms to solicit and view sexually explicit images and videos of the victim, pressuring the victim to meet him in person for illicit sexual activity.
On May 20, 2023, Whittaker traveled to Charlotte for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity with the minor.
Whittaker provided the minor with things of value before driving her back and dropping her off a distance from her home, leaving her to walk barefoot.Whittaker remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with the possibility of life in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled.
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