Fulton Man Guilty of Transporting 13-year-old for Sex
A Fulton, Missouri, man has pleaded guilty to transporting a 13-year-old girl from Alabama for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity. Michael James Collins, 21, admitted to paying his grandmother $400 to pick up the child victim in Alabama in July 2017.
Collins, who was a resident at the Community Supervision Center in Fulton at the time of the offense, was on probation for a prior felony conviction for sexual misconduct involving a child. He violated his probation by accessing the internet using his cell phone and his mother’s cell phone to communicate with the child victim via cell phone, Facebook Messenger, and other apps.
The Callaway County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department received information on December 10, 2017, that the 13-year-old girl from Alabama was missing from her home. A cell phone ping placed the child victim at a residence in Fulton, where she was located and removed.
Collins pleaded guilty to transporting a minor under the age of 14 across state lines with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity and to committing the felony offense while he was under the requirement to register as a sex offender.
Under federal statutes, Collins is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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