South MS judge rips Biloxi child predator before delivering sentence

A South Mississippi judge had strong words for a Biloxi man before sentencing the child “predator” to prison.

District Attorney W. Crosby Parker announced Tuesday that Aaron Matthew Costa, 42, of Biloxi, pled guilty last week to sexual battery and child exploitation. Judge Christopher Schmidt accepted the pleas and sentenced Costa to serve 80 years.

During the plea hearing, Assistant District Attorney Ian Baker informed the Court that in August of 2024, the then-9-year-old victim reported that she had been sexually abused by Costa, her mother’s boyfriend, for a period of approximately two years. During an interview at the Child Advocacy Center in Gulfport, the child reported multiple types of sexual abuse, occurring repeatedly, since the age of seven. The child further reported that Costa would tell her not to tell anyone because “it would destroy their family.”

Following the forensic interview, the Biloxi Police Department obtained a search warrant for the family residence and for all electronic devices on the premises. Costa was located in the home during the search warrant and was in possession of a cellular phone.

“A search of the phone revealed that the phone contained numerous photographs and videos of young children engaging in sexual conduct downloaded and saved by the Defendant to the phone, a thumb drive, and a Tumblr account held by the Defendant,” Baker said.

The court was also informed that a prior victim of Costa came forward and would have testified that she was also sexually abused by Costa when she was between the ages of 6 and 10 years old, while her mother was in a dating relationship with Costa.

After hearing the evidence, Judge Schmidt said “children are our most vulnerable resources among us, and their victimhood is an abomination at the hands of those predators like yourself. . . . And in these kinds of cases I don’t think there is any hope for rehabilitation of someone convicted of crimes like this. And if it requires the tax base of this state to just warehouse you for really the rest of your natural life, I’m willing to chip in and pay that burden as a taxpayer of the State of Mississippi.”

Judge Schmidt then sentenced Costa to serve a total of 80 years. Due to the nature of the crimes, Costa will be required to serve every day of the 80-year sentence without the benefit of parole or early release.

“We hope that today’s guilty plea, the sentence requested by the State, and imposed by the Court brings a sense of justice and closure to the victims, the victims’ families, and all who were affected by the heinous acts perpetrated by this Defendant. We further praise the courage of the victims in coming forward, and commend the Biloxi Police Department and Investigator Caleigh Gillespie for a professional and thorough investigation,” said District Attorney Crosby Parker.