Predator Caught

⏱ 2 min read

Bailey Michael Stouter, a 23-year-old Pennsylvania man, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for exploiting a 14-year-old girl in Kentucky. The crime occurred when Stouter used a social media application to meet the girl, arranging to pick her up from her home in Bullitt County, Kentucky, to drive her to Pennsylvania for a sexual encounter. This happened after he had been communicating with her online, with the intention of engaging in criminal sexual activity. A missing person report was issued for the child, and a few days later, Stouter was located with the young girl in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania.

The investigation was led by the FBI, with assistance from the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Yannelli prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated that online predators like Stouter are a plague, manipulating, exploiting, and abusing children. He emphasized that law enforcement will aggressively pursue these predators, leaving no stone unturned. Stouter’s sentence reflects the severity of his crime, with a lifetime term of supervised release following his 20-year prison sentence.

The court also ordered Stouter to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victim. This case highlights the importance of Project Safe Childhood and the efforts of law enforcement agencies to protect children from exploitation and abuse.