An Arkansas man was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for committing multiple acts of sexual abuse against children.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge David C. Guaderrama ordered the defendant to pay $20,000 to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Fund and be placed on supervised release for the remainder of his life after completing the prison term.
On May 7, 2021, a federal jury convicted Carl Monroe Gordon, 50, of Hot Springs, of one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child; two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct; and one count of abusive sexual contact with a child. Evidence presented during trial revealed that during Christmas 2018 and in July 2019, Gordon engaged in the sexual abuse of two minor children at residences located on Fort Bliss. Testimony during trial also revealed that Gordon had sexual contact with one of the minors over many years, beginning when the child was just seven years old.
An extensive investigation revealed that Gordon had engaged in a pattern of sexually abusing minor children for nearly three decades. This conduct occurred in Arkansas, California, Tennessee and Texas.
Gordon was arrested on December 22, 2019, at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where he was returning from a work assignment in Baghdad, Iraq. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
“Perhaps the most concerning cases that my office investigates involve the violation of children by those responsible for their care. The details of this case are alarming. Equally unfathomable is the heroic effort of these children who stepped forward to ensure that this individual would not be able to victimize others,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Today’s sentence reflects the dedication of prosecutors and law enforcement within the Western District of Texas to vigorously pursue justice in these cases.”
“The partners of the FBI El Paso Crimes Against Children/Human Trafficking Task Force worked tirelessly to ensure this defendant will never intimidate, coerce or victimize a child again,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey. “Today’s sentence of 50 years will hopefully bring some closure and allow the victims and their families to move forward from this heinous crime.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, El Paso Division, with assistance from the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. FBI Atlanta, Airport Resident Agency, FBI Little Rock, FBI Knoxville, and FBI Wheeling Resident Agency also provided invaluable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Winters and Ian Martinez Hanna prosecuted the case.
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 www.justice.gov/psc.
