SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) – A Springfield couple was sentenced to lengthy prison terms for grooming a teenager online before picking her up in Virginia and repeatedly sexually abusing her as they drove back to their apartment in Missouri.
Justin Johiah Curtright, 41, was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison. His wife, Christin Marie Curtright, 33, was sentenced to 27 years. The Curtrights pleaded guilty in 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor and transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Online grooming
According to investigators, in 2024, Justin Curtright first contacted the minor victim on Discord, an online video chatting platform. They say Justin later introduced the victim to his wife, and from that point, the three talked extensively, both online and by phone. As encouraged by Justin, the victim’s family did not know about her contact with the Curtrights.
Investigators say the Curtrights also engaged in sexually explicit acts on camera while video chatting with the victim and urged her to do the same. Investigators say Justin would frequently pretend to be the victim’s father…