Six convicted on child exploitation charges
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch Friday announced sentencing in six cases prosecuted by the Cyber Crime Division of the Attorney General’s Office.
“Child sexual exploitation is a serious statewide issue,” said Fitch. “This year, cyber tips have increased by 30 percent in Mississippi as child predators welcomed the opportunity to exploit children made more vulnerable by the pandemic. I am grateful for my team of dedicated prosecutors and investigators and our partners statewide. Together, we will continue to aggressively pursue the predators who seek to harm our precious children.”
Robert Michael Lundstrom, II, 32, pled guilty to one count of child exploitation and was sentenced by Lauderdale County Circuit Judge Robert T. “Bo” Bailey to eight years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will be subject to five years post-release supervision and was ordered to pay $3,000 in fees, including $1,000 to the Mississippi Crime Victims Compensation Fund and $1,000 to the Mississippi Children’s Trust Fund, as well as all court costs.
William Wood, 22, entered an open plea to one count of child exploitation and was sentenced by Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson to 10 years, suspended, with three years supervised probation.
Kendrick Quintarius Gates, 32, pled guilty to two counts of child exploitation, enticement to meet for sexual purposes and enticement of a child to produce visual depiction of sexual conduct, and one count of sexual battery. He was sentenced by Bolivar County Circuit Judge Albert B. Smith to 25 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will be subject to five years post-release supervision and was ordered to pay $1,000 to the Mississippi Children’s Trust Fund, $1,000 to the Mississippi Crime Victims Compensation Fund, and all court costs.
Jacob Brent Fitzgerald, 26, entered an open plea to one count of child exploitation and was sentenced by Judge Charles Wright of the Lauderdale County Circuit Court to 10 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will be subject to five years post-release supervision and was ordered to pay a $10,000 in fines.
Kevin Andrew Martin, 26, pled guilty to one count of child exploitation and was sentenced by Jackson County Circuit Judge Dale Harkey to five years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will be subject to five years post-release supervision and was ordered to pay $1,000 to Jackson County, $1,000 to the Mississippi Children’s Trust Fund, and $500 to the Mississippi Crime Victims Fund. Zachorey
Taylor Compton, 24, who was already registered as a sex offender, entered an open plea to two counts of child exploitation and was sentenced by Harrison County Circuit Judge Christopher Schmidt to 26 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will be subject to five years post-release supervision and five years of non-reporting probation.
All six will be required to register as sex offenders and will serve their sentences day-for-day without the possibility for parole.
