Two State Investigation Leads To Child Porn Arrests

Jackson, MS (Press Release) —A case being worked by the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has resulted in charges against a Michigan woman and a man currently imprisoned in Mississippi.

Investigators with the Ecorse and Dearborn Michigan Police Departments Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force transferred a case involving a complaint of illegal images taken of a two year old child to the Mississippi ICAC Task Force under the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. The investigation by the Mississippi ICAC Unit led to federal warrants being served on Stephanie Rascoe, 44, a resident of Ecorse, Michigan and David Rhyne, 33, currently incarcerated in the East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Meridian. The two are charged with production and distribution of child pornography for allegedly sharing illegal images via text message. Rhyne also faces charges for possession of child pornography. The alleged victim is a child entrusted occasionally to the care of Rascoe.

Rascoe was on a visit to Mississippi when she was arrested. She has been booked into the Lee County jail. Rhyne is currently serving time for sexual battery and was served in prison with the current federal warrant. Both arrests occurred Wednesday.

“This case is the epitome of the work we do with our federal partners and our ICAC partners on a daily basis, “ said Attorney General Jim Hood. “We greatly appreciate the work of the FBI, the U.S. Attorneys Office, the Mississippi Department of Corrections, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department and the Ecorse and Dearborne Michigan Police Departments on this case.”

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years on production charges and 15 years on the distribution charges. Rhyne faces up to 15 years on the possession charge and an additional 10 years for being a convicted felon. As with all cases, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.