Cyber tips are are up, and they’re helping catch child predators.

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More and more Mississippians are tipping off investigators about possible child predators, and their efforts are paying off. Attorney General Lynn Fitch says cyber tips are up by 30% as predators attempt to exploit children that are already more vulnerable due to the pandemic. Thanks in part to those tips, they’ve announced sentencing in 6 cases. All 6 will be required to register as sex offenders, and serve their sentences day-for-day without the possibility for parole.

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 8 years in
the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will be subject to 5
years post-release supervision and was ordered to pay $3,000 in fees, including
$1,000 to the Mississippi Crime Victim’s 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 3
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 sentenced Gates to 25 years in the
custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will be subject to 5 years
post-release supervision and was ordered to pay $1,000 to the Mississippi Children’s
Trust Fund, $1,000 to the Mississippi Crime Victim’s 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 5 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 5 years in the custody of
the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will be subject to 5 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 Victim’s 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.

(Source: AG’s Office)

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