Gulfport man sentenced for sending sexually explicit messages to presumed 14-year-old
One of four arrests from a 2020 child exploitation sting has ended with the recent sentencing of Gulfport resident Larry Rostchild III.
This month, Harrison County Circuit Judge Lawrence P. Bourgeois Jr. sentenced Rostchild, 24, to 40 years in prison with seven years to serve followed by five years of post-release supervision, according to Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. He also must register as a sex offender.
Rostchild was arrested on allegations of sending sexually explicit messages to a child he believed to be 14 years old. He made arrangements to meet the child for “sexually explicit conduct at a location in Harrison County,” according to a release from Fitch.
Rostchild was taken into custody when he arrived at the meeting place.
The arrest was part of December 2020’s Operation Bad Santa, led by the AG’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Law enforcement officers served five search warrants, issued 12 subpoenas and recovered one stolen firearm during the operation.
In addition to Rostchild, the operation led to law enforcement arresting:
▪ Gautier resident Phillip Joseph Ferry, now 28, on allegations of possessing child exploitation material
▪ Vancleave resident Ezekiel Amos Ely, now 36, on allegations of sending sexually explicit messages to a child he believed to be 14 years old
▪ Zachorey Taylor Compton, now 26, who pleaded guilty to two counts of child exploitation soon after his arrest. Compton was sentenced to 16 years in prison with five years post-release supervision.
The Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Biloxi Police Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation coordinated the week long operation.
“Unfortunately, child exploitation cases are on the rise as predators seek to exploit the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet unsupervised,” Fitch said.
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 12:24 PM.
