Missouri Man Sentenced to 23 Life Terms for Child Sex Crimes; Won’t Be Eligible for Parole for 650 Years

A Missouri man was sentenced to 23 consecutive life sentences for a multitude of child sex crimes, including trafficking, rape, and sodomy.

Derek Brett Roberts, 44, was found guilty on the 23 counts in June in Henry County, KMBC reported. Because the sentences must be served conseutively, Roberts won’t be eligible for parole for 650 years.

Henry County Circuit Judge M. Brandon Baker handed down the sentences on Friday, WDAF reported.

The Henry County Prosecutor’s Office said the charges against Roberts come from a Missouri State Highway Patrol investigation that found multiple child pornography files on Roberts’ electronic devices, some of them made in his home involving children under the age of 9.

Roberts’ trial lasted for three days in June, and a jury quickly returned guilty verdicts on eight counts of first-degree sexual trafficking of a child, four counts of first-degree rape, and 11 counts of first-degree sodomy.

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[Featured image: Derek Brett Roberts/Henry County Sheriff’s Office]