Arkansas Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Children on Military Base
Carl Monroe Gordon, 50, was convicted of abusing two minors at the U.S. Army base in El Paso, Texas
An Arkansas man was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison for acts of sexual abuse against minors.
A federal jury found Carl Monroe Gordon, the victims’ ex-stepfather, guilty of multiple counts of sexually abusing two children at their residences on Fort Bliss army base in El Paso, Texas.
Gordon, 50, was convicted of abusing the victims during Christmas of 2018 and in July of 2019. According to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Gordon abused one of the minors over many years, beginning when the child was only 10 or 11 years old.
“Perhaps the most concerning cases that my office investigates involve the violation of children by those responsible for their care,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff in a statement. “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.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the dedication of prosecutors and law enforcement within the Western District of Texas to vigorously pursue justice in these cases,” she added.
Gordon was convicted 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 according to the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
An investigation conducted by the FBI found Gordon “engaged in a pattern of sexually abusing children for nearly three decades” and committed similar conduct in Arkansas, California, Tennessee and Texas, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In a statement, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey said, “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.”
“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,” he added.
In addition to the prison sentence, United States District Judge David C. Guaderrama ordered Gordan to pay $20,000 to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Fund and be placed on supervised release after completing his sentence.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
