Justin Dale Sigmon, who used to work for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, was found guilty of having s*xual contact with a child in a harmful way. Federal court records show that Sigmon was found guilty on November 17 after a trial by jury.
After a recorded incident with a young girl on a cruise ship in May, the FBI charged Sigmon, who is 47 years old, with s*xual contact with a child in a harmful way. Back in June, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office told WDBJ7 that Sigmon had quit.
According to court records from the District Court of Southern Florida, the event happened on a Carnival Cruise Line ship that left from the Port of Miami on May 25. Sigmon was with his family at the time.
Former Franklin County Sheriff’s Office employee found guilty in child s*x abuse case
Former Franklin County Sheriff’s Office employee found guilty in child sex abuse case – WDBJ https://t.co/cgianc8Gyq
— せっくすなう (@sex__now) November 20, 2023
Someone on the ship said that Sigmon and his family were ready for dinner in the dining room. According to the records, the witness said that she saw Sigmon touching the girl.
While sitting at the table next to where Sigmon was sitting, the witness said they could see clearly and had a clear view of what was happening. The witness said that they saw the girl sitting on Sigmon’s lap and acting in a bad way.
The witness said they were worried and started to record the event on video. According to court papers, the event was also caught on cameras in the dining room of the ship.
When the young victim was asked about what happened, the forensic interviewer asked about it and the victim said that Sigmon did not touch private areas. Legal papers say the recordings directly contradict what the victim said happened.
Online court records show that Sigmon agreed to an interview with police, but the conversation was not recorded. Sigmon told the police that he knew the touching could be seen as “inappropriate,” but he said it wasn’t meant to be “s*xual.” He said he would have “punched him in the face” if someone else had touched his daughter in the same way.
The FBI agent thought there was strong evidence to charge Sigmon with s*x abuse with a child under 12 years old. Based on court records, he was charged when the cruise ship arrived in Florida on May 29.
After the hearing on November 17, Sigmon was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service of America. He will be given his sentence in Miami on January 12.