VAN BUREN, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Van Buren man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Thursday on one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to a release from the United States Department of Justice.
Jeffrey Callen Gonzagowski Jr., 39, was sentenced to 360 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in September 2014, Gonzagowski Jr. transported a minor across state lines from Mt. Ida, Arkansas to Oklahoma.
During this time, Gonzagowski Jr. sexually assaulted the minor.
He was arrested in December 2020 and pleaded guilty in March 2021.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams as part of Project Safe Childhood, “a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse,” launched in May 2006 by the DOJ.
Judge P.K. Holmes III presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fort Smith.