ASHEVILLE, N.C. β A Virginia man has been sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison after traveling to western North Carolina to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
James Edward Whisenant, 50, began communicating with undercover agents in March of 2022, expressing his interest in engaging in illicit sexual activities with a minor female child.
Two months later on May 27, 2022, Whisenant traveled from his Virginia home to North Carolina with the intention of engaging in sexual acts with a female toddler. The undercover agents subsequently arrested him.
Law enforcement confiscated Whisenantβs electronic devices that contained hundreds of photos and videos of child pornography.
Whisenant pleaded guilty on November 30th, 2022.
Following his 210-month prison sentence, Whisenant will have a lifetime of supervised release. He will also have to register as a sex offender and pay $39,500 in restitution.
