MS man who sexually assaulted girl, 6, and filmed the abuse, is headed to prison
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- Judge imposes 30-year day-for-day term for sexual battery and child exploitation
- Investigation began after victim, abused since age 6, disclosed crimes to father.
- Police recovered dozens of abuse images on Bergeron’s phone; prosecutor vowed protection.
A Vancleave man who sexually assaulted a child beginning at the age of six and possessed various child sexual abuse images will serve 30 years in prison day-for-day for his crimes.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Kathy King Jackson sentenced Bobby Bergeron on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual battery and seven count of child exploitation. The overall sentence was 50 years in prison, but the judge suspended all but the 30-year day-for-day sentence for the crimes.
Jackson County sheriff’s deputies started investigating the case in August 2022 after the victim, finally disclosed to her father that Bergeron, a close family member, had been molesting her for over a year beginning at the age of 6. The little girl provided a detailed description of the crimes committed against her.
During a subsequent search of Bergeron’s phone, police found dozens of photos of the abuse he inflicted on the child.
After his arrest, he admitted his crimes.
‘The strength and courage shown by this young victim is extraordinary,” said Assistant District Attorney George Huffman, who prosecuted the case. “It takes tremendous bravery for any child to speak about abuse, especially when the abuser is someone they know and should have been able to trust.
“Because of her courage, this defendant has been held accountable, and a dangerous individual has been removed from our community.”
District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath weighed in on the case.
“We held this defendant accountable for his cruel sexual abuse of a precious child and for recording that abuse,” she said. “These offenses are among the most vile crimes we prosecute.
“All exploitation cases involve real children, and in this case, the victim is a child from our own community. Images of child sexual abuse are crime-scene photos whose very existence perpetuates the abuse itself. That reality cannot be minimized, excused, or ignored.”
McIlrath said her office will continue to fight for the child victims in cases like this.
“We will protect them,” McIlrath said. “We will protect families. And we will use every lawful tool available to identify, prosecute, and hold accountable those who prey upon the most vulnerable among us. Our children are our treasures, and my commitment to protecting them is, and will remain, unwavering.”
