Nationwide — Decruis Tatum, a 27-year-old African American man from Biloxi, Mississippi, will spend 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually battering an 11-year-old girl. He must serve the entire sentence without parole or early release. According to WLBT, the case came to light after the girl told a family friend about the abuse. The friend reported it to police and made sure the child received medical attention. She later underwent a sexual assault examination at a hospital, allowing investigators to collect potential evidence.
During a forensic interview, the girl told investigators that the assault occurred in 2024 at her home in Gulfport. She said Tatum entered her bedroom early one Saturday morning while no one else in the home was awake. Investigators said he began talking to her about sex and had questions saved in the Notes app on his cellphone, including, “What did you want to know about sex?” and “Do you want to start with the basics?”
Investigators said Tatum then made sure the others remained asleep before directing the girl to the kitchen, where the sexual assault occurred. She reported the abuse the following evening, prompting the Gulfport Police Department to begin an investigation.
Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Magee, who prosecuted the case, said police obtained a search warrant to collect Tatum’s DNA. Investigators compared it with evidence from the girl’s rape kit, and the analysis produced a match. The DNA evidence became a key part of the case and supported the prosecution as Tatum’s case moved forward.
After accepting his guilty plea, Judge Christopher L. Schmidt sentenced Tatum to 50 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections. During the sentencing, Schmidt described the sexual assault of an 11-year-old child as an extremely serious crime. District Attorney W. Crosby Parker credited the family friend for quickly reporting the abuse and getting the child medical and forensic care, saying those early actions helped preserve evidence used in the case.