Guthrie Gets 15 Years for NC Child Sex Crimes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – James Anthony Guthrie, III, 37, of Eldon, Missouri, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison after being sentenced today for a calculated campaign of sexual abuse targeting a child in North Carolina. Guthrie traveled repeatedly to the state over a two-year period to meet with the victim, exploiting her vulnerability and manipulating her into illicit sexual encounters.

U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes handed down the sentence, with no possibility of parole. Guthrie pleaded guilty on November 27, 2018, to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The details revealed in court paint a disturbing picture of grooming and exploitation. Guthrie admitted to meeting the then-15-year-old victim at various hotels, sometimes picking her up directly from school or her home – on one occasion, with the assistance of her own father, who brought her to the hotel.

The abuse didn’t begin with the trips. Court documents show Guthrie initially connected with the child online when she was just 14. He then began a systematic effort to gain her trust, showering her with gifts – jewelry, a cell phone, food deliveries, even a life-size teddy bear. He financed shopping trips and hotel stays, all as part of a deliberate effort to manipulate and control her. Investigators discovered Guthrie was acutely aware of prior abuse in the victim’s life, and cynically exploited that trauma to further his predatory actions.

The digital trail left by Guthrie was damning. A forensic examination of his laptop, hard drive, and DVD-R disks revealed a trove of child pornography. He wasn’t just focused on this single victim either; Guthrie admitted to communicating with other individuals he *believed* were minors in a sexual manner, and receiving self-produced pornographic images from children aged 13 to 14. This wasn’t a fleeting lapse in judgment – it was a pattern of predatory behavior.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner prosecuted the case, a joint effort involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Lebanon, Mo., Police Department, and the Lake Area ICAC Task Force. The investigation underscores the need for continued vigilance and collaboration in combating online exploitation.

This case was presented as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to aggressively target and prosecute those who sexually exploit children. The program focuses on coordinating federal, state, and local resources to identify victims and bring perpetrators to justice. Information on Project Safe Childhood and internet safety resources can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.