A federal court has sentenced 52-year-old Rayford Evans of Doniphan, Missouri, to 21 years in prison for the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, following a disturbing case that revealed a pattern of abuse spanning decades.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Evans was convicted in January after a bench trial showed he used a cellphone to secretly record a 15-year-old girl while she was bathing and using the bathroom. Evans held the phone up to a window above the bathroom door. The victim noticed the device, alerted a friend and her father, prompting a report to the Doniphan City Police. Investigators later recovered three deleted videos of the minor on Evans’ phone.
But the case uncovered more than just a single offense. During the trial and sentencing, additional victims came forward, alleging Evans had sexually abused them as well—some going back decades. Three individuals testified during the sentencing hearing, and one wrote in a statement that Evans had “hunted children, for his depraved sexual appetite, for at least 26 years.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter, who prosecuted the case, noted in her sentencing memo that Evans exploited children “for decades,” using bribes like toys, electronics, and candy to earn their trust and facilitate abuse.
Evans denied the other allegations but was sentenced on the primary charge. U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig handed down the 21-year term on April 23, 2024.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Doniphan City Police Department. The case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Childhood initiative—a Justice Department campaign launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by uniting federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
For more details, visit the Department of Justice release:
🔗 justice.gov/usao-edmo
If you are aware of child exploitation or suspect abuse, contact your local authorities or visit www.justice.gov/psc for guidance and reporting tools.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri
