James Edward Moss, Jr., a 40-year-old resident of Myrtle Beach, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to evidence presented during the investigation, Moss met a minor online in April 2022. He then picked up the minor and took her to a hotel room where he engaged in sexual activity with her. Between April 20 and April 23, 2022, Moss recorded several videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with the minor.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson III sentenced Moss to 55 months of imprisonment. Following his release, Moss will be subject to a ten-year term of court-ordered supervision. As part of his sentence, Moss must register as a sex offender and pay $3,000 in restitution to the victim. There is no parole available under the federal system.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together resources from federal, state, and local agencies to investigate and prosecute offenders who exploit children and assist victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The FBI’s Columbia field office and the Horry County Police Department conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Hummel and Bill Watkins handled prosecution duties.
