Republic Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Transporting Minors for Sex

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Republic, Missouri, truck driver was sentenced in federal court today for transporting two Missouri teenagers across state lines and sexually assaulting them.

Cleveland Lee Crumsey, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Crumsey to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.

On March 13, 2020, Crumsey pleaded guilty to one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity. Crumsey admitted that he transported two child victims across state lines from Missouri to Iowa in his truck. Crumsey also admitted that he had sexual intercourse with both of the child victims. According to court documents, one of the victims was 16 years old and the second victim was 17 years old.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Monett, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Fremont County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."