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 videoing his sexual assault of at least two minors. According to court documents, while investigating the sexual assault of an adult acquaintance, Southaven Police Detective William Boliek uncovered videos Anderson had made and kept of the sexual assaults of at least two minors on his cell phone. Anderson was identified by a distinctive physical trait on his left hand. Anderson was charged with the sexual exploitation of minors and pled guilty on an earlier occasion.

In addition to 30 years in prison, Anderson was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender wherever he resides, is employed, attends school, or is a temporary resident.

"After choosing to victimize innocent children for his own warped sexual gratification, this defendant has earned every day of the 30-year sentence imposed in this case," remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. "I truly appreciate the efforts of AUSA Parker King and Detective Boliek, and the removal of this individual from free society is an important step towards making our District a safer place."

"Thanks to the excellent work done in this investigation and as a part of this prosecution, today's sentencing has resulted in the removal of a sexual predator from the streets of our community," said Southaven Police Chief Brent Vickers. "Although we cannot undo the harm caused to these victims, the Southaven Police Department will leave no stone unturned when it comes to investigating and holding accountable sexual offenders who choose to victimize minors and innocent citizens."

The Southaven Police Department 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 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. The goal of Project Safe Childhood is to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.