Texas Predator Whittaker Convicted of NC Child Sex Crimes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rusty Joseph Whittaker, 44, of Austin, Texas, will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after a federal jury in Charlotte delivered a guilty verdict late yesterday for a horrific pattern of abuse. Whittaker was convicted of traveling to North Carolina to engage in sexual activity with a child, along with charges of enticing a minor and producing child pornography. The four-day trial, presided over by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr., laid bare the calculated depravity of a man who preyed on innocence.

The investigation, a joint effort by the FBI and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), revealed a meticulous effort by Whittaker to conceal his crimes. He initially connected with the victim on Antiland, an online platform designed for anonymity and automatic message deletion, before shifting the communication to Snapchat – another platform known for its ephemeral messaging. This digital dance was a deliberate attempt to evade detection while he solicited and viewed sexually explicit material from the victim and relentlessly pressured her for an in-person meeting.

The evidence presented at trial painted a chilling picture of Whittaker’s actions on May 20, 2023. He traveled from a conference in Nashville to Charlotte solely to meet with the minor. Waiting until the victim’s father was asleep, Whittaker picked her up from her home, drove her to a hotel, and committed the unspeakable. The depravity didn’t end there; Whittaker provided the minor with gifts before abandoning her – barefoot – a distance from her home, leaving her to walk alone. It’s a detail that speaks volumes about the callousness of his actions.

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children,” stated U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “And we will do whatever it takes to protect them.” Ferguson emphasized the critical role played by the FBI, CMPD, and the federal prosecutors in securing this conviction. Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI Charlotte field office added, “An adult who takes advantage of a child for sexual gratification is vile, loathsome, and abominable.” He underscored the importance of online safety education for children and the availability of support services for victims.

Whittaker is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, with the potential for a life sentence without parole. The ultimate sentence will be determined by Judge Gibney after a presentence investigation conducted by the United States Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program pools federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute predators who exploit children online and to provide crucial support to victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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