All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
26-year-old Riverton resident Phillip Timmons faces one count Third Degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor, and one count Sexual Exploitation of Children.
According to court documents, Timmons reportedly engaged in sexual acts with a minor between October 1st, 2019 and December 20th, 2019.
Timmons and the minor allegedly exchanged “numerous” images and messages through social media, as well as, phone calls and texts. These “appeared to be sexually explicit and demonstrate an intimate relationship.”
Court documents note that Timmons was made aware that she was a minor, but continued to have sexual relations with her anyway.
The two charges are currently two separate cases in the Fremont County Court system.
Timmons had his first preliminary hearing on May 7th, where the court found “sufficient probable cause” and transferred the case for Third Degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor to District Court for arraignment. This charge is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The Sexual Exploitation of Children charge was filed against Timmons on August 3rd, according to the court documents. This charge was brought on by a sexually explicit video involving the minor found by the FBI on Timmons’s phone. This charge is a felony punishable by no less than 5 years and no more than 12 years in prison, a fine of no more than $10,000, or both.
Timmons waived his preliminary hearing for the last charge on August 13th. Currently, a jury trial has been set for September 14th, 2020 for the first charge. As of this week, the two cases remain separate.