An Acworth man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for abducting and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl before leaving her in a Walmart parking lot in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
James Anthony Reynolds, 25, pleaded guilty in November to kidnapping after he drove the girl from Barrow County to Acworth, sexually assaulted her and then drove to Chattanooga to abandon her, according to Ryan Buchanan, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
In May 2020, Reynolds and the victim met on a social media app, Buchanan’s office said. In the early morning on May 7, 2020, Reynolds picked the child up and sexually assaulted her.
He then abandoned her in a Walmart parking lot in Chattanooga, where the girl approached a Walmart employee who was able to help her reach her parents, Buchanan said.
“Child sexual predators are increasingly exploiting social media platforms to target vulnerable minors,” Buchanan said. “While our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners remain steadfast in identifying these criminals, and our office is committed to prosecuting these individuals to the fullest extent of the law, we strongly urge parents to stay vigilant in monitoring their children’s Internet activity, including their use of apps on electronic devices. Thankfully, the minor victim in this case is safe after being reunited with her family.”