“Virginia Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years for Illicit Sexual Conduct with Toddler: James Edward Whisenant Jr. Receives Prison Term and Lifetime Supervised Release”

Accident – death – Obituary News : James Edward Whisenant Jr., a 50-year-old man from Suffolk, Virginia, has been sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for traveling to Hendersonville, North Carolina, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a toddler. The sentencing took place in Asheville federal court on January 16, as announced by U.S. Attorney Dena J. King of the Western District of North Carolina. Whisenant pleaded guilty to the charges on November 30, 2022.

In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn ordered Whisenant to register as a sex offender after his release and pay $39,500 in restitution to the 11 victims of child pornography that he possessed. The details of the case were revealed in a sentencing memorandum obtained by the Citizen Times.

The investigation into Whisenant began on March 3, 2022, when agents from Homeland Security Investigation’s Greenville, South Carolina office initiated a covert online operation targeting individuals using the dark web to seek out minors for sexual acts. Whisenant, using the username “Wacky Weasel,” engaged in conversations with an undercover agent posing as the parent of a 4-year-old girl.

Over the course of two months, Whisenant and the agent exchanged messages on an encrypted messaging application and even spoke on the phone. During these conversations, Whisenant discussed his plans, including hotel arrangements and explicit descriptions of what he intended to do with the fictitious child.

On May 27, 2022, Whisenant traveled from Suffolk, Virginia, to Hendersonville, where he had arranged to meet the agent and the supposed child. During the meeting, Whisenant admitted to actively searching for other potential victims in case the meeting fell through. Shortly after this admission, law enforcement agents arrested Whisenant as he was walking towards his truck.

During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement found hundreds of images and videos containing child pornography on Whisenant’s electronic devices. The case against Whisenant was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child exploitation on the internet.

Child sexual abuse is a widespread problem in the United States, with an estimated 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experiencing abuse at some point in their childhood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To help protect children online, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recommends several measures for parents, guardians, and caregivers, including discussing internet safety with children, supervising their online activities, and reviewing games, apps, and social media sites before they are used.

It is important to adjust privacy settings and use parental controls for online activities, as well as teach children about body safety, boundaries, and the importance of saying no to inappropriate requests online. Signs of abuse should be closely monitored, and children should be encouraged to report any suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.

To report suspected online enticement or exploitation of a child, individuals can contact local law enforcement, the FBI, or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. She can be reached via email at rober@gannett.com, and you can follow her on Twitter @ryleyober..