CHRISTIANSTED — A St. Croix man heard the charges against him in federal court for the alleged sexual assault of a female minor.
Dante Edison James, 27, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile Henderson, III, for his initial appearance hearing after an indictment charging James with production of child pornography and rape in the second degree was unsealed today in federal court, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.
According to court documents, between January 1, 2021, and August 23, 2022, James engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexually explicit conduct with a minor who was over the age of 16, but under the age of 18. James produced video recordings of the acts with the use of devices shipped in interstate and foreign commerce.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Virgin Islands Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation, and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.