Kentucky man on the run after being found guilty of sexually abusing a Mississippi child

A Kentucky man found guilty of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is on the run from authorities.

Harrison County District Attorney W. Crosby Parker confirmed that Jimmy Joe Davis, 54, left court Thursday night while the jury was deliberating his case and did not return to the courthouse after the jury returned a guilty verdict. A warrant has since been issued for Davis’ arrest.

During the three-day trial, the jury heard that Davis lived with a woman and her two minor children in a home off Vidalia Road in Pass Christian. Child Protective Services was making home visits to the family on an unrelated complaint.

During one of these home visits, the seven-year-old victim revealed to the child welfare social worker that “she had a secret with Mr. Jimmy and that it was something children should not do,” said Assistant District Attorney Ian Baker.

Upon further questioning by the CPS worker, the child stated that she had been sexually abused by Davis on multiple occasions. The jury also viewed the child’s forensic interview conducted at the Canopy Children’s Advocacy Center, in which she again stated that she had been sexually abused by Davis.

“As the child described her experience to the jury, you could see the jurors physically reacting to what they were hearing,” Baker said. “The verdict in this case is the result of a collaborative effort between Child Protective Services, Canopy Child Advocacy Center, Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office, all of whom demonstrated the teamwork, passion and dedication necessary to achieve justice for this victim.”

The court will proceed with sentencing once Davis is located and taken into custody. Davis faces a possible life sentence plus 15 years in prison on the charges. Anyone with information on Davis’ whereabouts should contact Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at (1-877)787-5898.