A Laurel man has been sentenced to serve 25 years for sexual battery, according to Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney Bubba Bramlett.
Circuit Court Judge Steve Ratcliff handed down 59-year-old Daniel Artis Jenkins’ sentencing on Monday, requiring him to serve 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised probation. Jenkins must register as a sex offender and will have no contact with his victim.
On April 27, 2022, the Richland Police Department received a complaint from the Jones County Sheriff’s
Department regarding Jenkins sexually abusing a victim when she was a child. Jones County police arrested Jenkins for child exploitation in an unrelated case.
After his arrest, the victim came forward to disclose that the abuse occurred between 2003 and 2004 at Jenkins’ home in Richland. The victim was 12 at the time of the abuse.
Jenkins was interviewed by the Richland Police Department and confessed to some of the abuse. He was charged with statutory rape, sexual battery, and gratification of lust based on the victim’s disclosures.
Rather than proceed to trial on his charges, Jenkins pled guilty to sexual battery on April 25, 2023.
He was sentenced to 25 years for sexual battery involving a minor and will be required to serve 20 years day for day in prison. He is additionally facing charges in Jones County for the other incident, which was investigated by the Jones County Sheriff’s Department.
“This is a case where the victim lived with the unreported abuse by Jenkins for almost 20 years,” Bramlett said. “We are thankful for the work of the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and the Richland Police Department in helping get this victim justice and getting this pedophile off the streets. Our office will continue to zealously fight for and protect our children from abuse.”
