Attorney General Lynn Fitch today announced the sentencing of two individuals who were investigated and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office for child exploitation and abuse.
“These crimes rob a child of their innocence and cause great trauma,” said Fitch. “And while these convictions cannot turn back the clock, I am grateful that justice has been served. My team will continue to work tirelessly to identify, investigate and prosecute child predators.”
On September 27, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Joseph H. Loper sentenced Eric Michael Gregory of Grenada County to 35 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with 25 years to serve, day for day, for one count of Sexual Battery of a Child Under the Age of 14. Upon his release, Gregory will also serve five years of supervised probation. Gregory will be required to register as a sex offender.
On September 28, 2023, Prentiss County Circuit Court Judge John R. White sentenced Charles Clifton Walters of Booneville to 20 years in the custody of MDOC with five years to serve, day for day, for one count of Exploitation of a Child relating to the possession of child sexual abuse material. Walters was also sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Walters will serve five years under post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender upon his release from incarceration. This case originated with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Upon investigating, Fitch’s Cyber Crime Division discovered that Walters possessed 53 images of child sexual abuse material and was also found to be a felon in possession of a firearm at the time of the execution of the residential search warrant.
If you have information about a child being sexually exploited, please report it to 1-800-843-5678. The hotline is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and tips are reported to the Attorney General’s Office. You can also make a report online at www.cybertipline.org.
