A Kentucky man found guilty of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is on the run from authorities.
Harrison County District Attorney W. Crosby Parker confirmed that 54-year-old Jimmy Joe Davis left court Thursday night as a jury deliberated his case and failed to return to the courthouse after the jury had reached a guilty verdict. A warrant has now been issued for Davis’s arrest.
During the three-day trial, the jury heard that Davis was living with a woman and her two minor children in a residence off of Vidalia Road in Pass Christian. Child Protective Services was conducting home visits on the family due to an unrelated complaint.
At one of these home visits, the seven-year-old victim disclosed to the CPS caseworker that “she had a secret with Mr. Jimmy and it was about something that kids were not supposed to do,” Assistant District Attorney Ian Baker stated.
Upon further inquiry by the CPS worker, the child disclosed experiencing multiple incidents of sexual abuse perpetrated by Davis. The jury also watched the child’s forensic interview, performed at Canopy Children’s Advocacy Center, in which she again disclosed being sexually abused by Davis.
“As the child detailed her experience to the jury, you could see the jurors physically react to what they were hearing,” Baker said. “The verdict in this case is the result of the partnership between Child Protective Services, Canopy Child Advocacy Center, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, and the District Attorney’s Office, who all demonstrated the teamwork, passion, and dedication necessary to achieve justice for this victim.”
The court will proceed with sentencing once Davis is located and taken into custody. Davis faces a possible life sentence plus 15 years in prison on the charges. Anyone with information about Davis’s whereabouts should contact Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at (1-877)787-5898.
