Any crime committed against a child is horrendous. Many adults probably would agree, however, that those convicted of sexually assaulting a minor deserve every year of punishment and more. Recently, an Alabama man was convicted after forcing a 10-year-old girl to perform sex acts in exchange for playing videos.
Dustin Lamar Peoples, 43, was found guilty of multiple charges in October. His crimes allegedly happened over a four-month period back in 2018. Now, Peoples faces at least 20 years in prison for what he coerced the child under 12 to do.
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The Alabama man was convicted of sodomy and sex abuse of a child.
Peoples was convicted oOctober 10 of crimes spanning from August 2018 to Christmas of that year. He allegedly forced the 10-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him so she could play video games, according to prosecutors. He was found guilty of first-degree sodomy and sex abuse of a child under the age of 12, Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey told People.
In March 2019, the 10-year-old girl confessed what happened to a trusted adult.
In March 2019, the 10-year-old told a trusted adult what happened to her, Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey told People. The child (with the help of an adult/adults) filed an official report at the Blount County Children’s Center. There, she described the abuse she endured as well as she could.
The girl didn't know common words to describe the sexual abuse.
“She did her best to explain the things that had been done to her using terms she understood at the time,” Casey said in a statement, per CBS 42. “She was innocent. She did not know the common words that adults or even teenagers would use to describe what had happened to her. She spoke as a child. As an innocent child. Dustin Peoples stole this child’s innocence.”
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Despite the evidence, Peoples denied the allegations.
At the two-day trial in Blount County Circuit Court, prosecutors presented evidence of Peoples’ abuse. He allegedly touched the girl’s breasts and vagina and forced her “to perform oral sex on at least four occasions,” per the magazine. When he took the stand, Peoples denied having inappropriate contact with the 10-year-old.
He faces 20 to 99 years in prison.
For the sodomy charge, Peoples faces 20 to 99 years in prison. He also faces between two and 20 years for the sex abuse charge, People reported. His sentencing was set for November 19, and he was remanded to Blount County Correctional in the meantime.
