Quitman Man Sentenced to Over 33 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting a Child

EL PASO – Today a Quitman man was sentenced to 400 months in prison for sexually assaulting a child.

According to court documents, on July 19, 2021, Roy Gene Pratt Jr., 40, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child.  By pleading guilty, Pratt admitted to sexually assaulting a seven-year-old victim on Fort Bliss.  Investigators also identified six other minor children, ranging from six to 14 years of age, victimized by Pratt.

Pratt has remained in custody since his arrest in May 2020.

“This successful prosecution was made possible by the tenacious efforts of our law enforcement partners and the courageous victims for whom some measure of justice was delivered today,” stated U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Safeguarding children, the most vulnerable members of our society, will always be a critical priority.”

“These crimes are gut-wrenching, and today’s sentencing is a commitment from the FBI El Paso’s Crimes Against Children/Human Trafficking task force that we will not allow the defendant to assault a child again,” said Jeffrey R. Downey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI El Paso Field Office. “We will continue to aggressively pursue child sexual assault cases as we are committed to protecting all of our communities, helping victims, and ensuring that justice is served.”

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.  The FBI Dallas-Amarillo and Tyler Resident Agencies, the FBI Little Rock-Texarkana Resident Agency, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety also assisted with this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Winters prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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