New Jersey man caught with girl in Fort Smith sentenced

A New Jersey man who was caught with a 14-year-old girl in Fort Smith was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge.

Robert Joseph Butler, 27, first connected with the girl over social media and text messages, according to the news release. He then drove from New Jersey and met her in Albuquerque, N.M. They then drove through Texas, Oklahoma and into Arkansas. Butler engaged in sexual acts with the girl during the trip, according to the news release.

The two were they were found in Fort Smith by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Crawford County Sheriff's Office, and Butler was arrested.

“There is no higher priority in our office than cases involving crimes against children," Eldridge said in the news release. "The AMBER Alert system, which Arkansas implemented in 2001, was a critical instrument in the successful recovery of this young victim, as were the efforts of our partnering agencies in the investigation."

Upcoming Events