A Meridian man will spend five decades in prison for sex crimes against a child.
Gary Raymon Rush, 35, was handed down the sentence by Circuit Court Judge Randi P. Mueller on the charges of sexual battery and two counts of touching a child for lustful purposes.
Rush had previously been found guilty by a Biloxi jury on April 15, 2024. During the trial, the jury heard that the D’Iberville Police Department was called to a residence on Quail Creek Circle after a family member woke up and discovered Rush in the then 12-year-old victim’s bedroom with the lights off and the door closed.
The victim testified that the defendant would wait until nighttime to enter the victim’s bedroom, sexually abuse her, and tell her not to tell anyone. The investigation determined that the sexual abuse of the victim began two weeks before the police were called to the residence. It is unclear what the relationship between the defendant and the victim was.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Mueller heard evidence that Rush had previously pled guilty to a charge of attempted rape in Lauderdale County.
Due to the nature of the crime, Rush will serve his sentence day-for-day, without the possibility of parole or early release in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
