Wesley Kimble, Inter-State Transport of Minor for Illicit Sex, Missouri 2020

St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Illicit Sex with Teen

A St. Louis County man has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison for traveling to Springfield, Illinois, to have sex with a 15-year-old, the Grimy Times has learned.

Wesley Kimble, now 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday for his role in the illicit sex act. The crime occurred in 2019 when Kimble, who met the 15-year-old victim via an online dating site, drove to Springfield to pick her up and engaged in sexual activity with her on the return trip.

According to court documents, Kimble also provided the victim with illegal drugs and engaged in unprotected sex with her once they arrived at his apartment in St. Louis County. The victim's mother read a statement in court, describing the mental and emotional scars inflicted on her daughter as 'incalculable' and 'without end.'

Kimble pleaded guilty in November to a charge of interstate transport of a minor for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct. In addition to the prison time, Judge Pitlyk ordered Kimble to undergo drug, mental health, and sex offender treatment as part of his supervised release, which will last for the rest of his life.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Kimble's sentence serves as a warning to those who would exploit children online, officials said. 'This case highlights the devastating impact of child exploitation and the importance of our efforts to hold perpetrators accountable,' a spokesperson said.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/st-louis-county-man-sentenced-5-years-traveling-sex-teen