A Pass Christian man will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple sex crimes involving children.
District Attorney Crosby Parker announced that 72-year-old RJ Sanders pled guilty this week to four counts of sexual battery. Circuit Court Judge Dodsson sentenced Sanders to four life sentences, to be served concurrently in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The sentences must be served day for day with no possibility of parole.
According to prosecutors, the case began after the Pass Christian Police Department received a report of sexual abuse involving Sanders. An investigation by Pass Christian PD, working alongside the Gulfport Police Department, determined that Sanders sexually assaulted minor children between 2013 and 2021 in both Pass Christian and Gulfport.
Assistant District Attorney Haley Broom, who prosecuted the case, said Sanders was entrusted with caring for the children while their parents were at work. Investigators found that Sanders used activities such as trips for ice cream, playing dress-up, and making music videos to gain access to the victims, while the abuse occurred privately and went undetected for years.
The abuse came to light after one victim disclosed what happened to a family member, prompting additional victims to come forward. Prosecutors said the children were later forensically interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi, where they detailed the abuse.
Sanders had been scheduled for a jury trial but entered a guilty plea ahead of pretrial motions. During the plea hearing, Sanders admitted guilt but showed little remorse, prosecutors said. Before handing down the sentence, Judge Dodson described the case as “one of the worst cases I’ve seen.”
Broom said the victims’ willingness to come forward after years of silence assured accountability.
“While nothing will ever erase the harm suffered by these innocent children, we hope these convictions provide the victims a measure of healing and justice for their courage,” she said.