A Rankin County man has pleaded guilty to statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl that went on for more than a year.
Bubba Bramlett, district attorney for Madison and Rankin Counties, announced that Don Edd Woods, 51, was sentenced this week after admitting to the crime.
A pair of concerned adults notified the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department on November 26, 2023, that a child had told them Woods had been sexually abusing her. The abuse began in 2022, but the child is said to have been too afraid to tell anyone.
RCSD began an investigation into the report, which included a forensic interview by the Mississippi Children’s Advocacy Center, in which the minor revealed the details of the abuse.
“We are committed to protecting children in our community and holding perpetrators accountable,” Bramlett said. “We are grateful for the brave individuals who provided a safe space for this child to share her experience and for the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, which works tirelessly to guard our children from sexual predators.”
Woods will serve 15 years without the possibility of parole followed by five years of supervised release and registering as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
