Doniphan Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

Cape Girardeau, Mo. (KFMO) - A Doniphan man has been sentenced to 21 years in federal prison following his conviction for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

52-year-old Rayford Evans, received his sentence Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau. He was found guilty in January after a one-day bench trial. Prosecutors presented evidence that Evans used his cell phone to secretly record a 15-year-old girl while she was bathing and using the bathroom. Investigators say he held the phone up to a window above the bathroom door to capture the footage.

The victim noticed the phone and reported it to a friend, who told her father, and eventually the girl’s father—who then contacted the Doniphan Police Department. Officers later recovered three videos of the girl that Evans had attempted to delete.

During the trial, another victim came forward to testify about past sexual abuse by Evans. Additional testimony revealed that he had recorded videos of another girl. At the sentencing hearing, three more individuals testified about their own experiences of sexual abuse at the hands of Evans.