Crawford County Man Pleads Guilty to Grooming, Sexual Abuse of Minor

Crawford Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A Crawford County man has pleaded guilty to federal charges involving the grooming and sexual abuse of a minor.

34-year-old Nathaniel Rod Gibson admitted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. Court documents say Gibson gave the victim a cellphone and groomed her through more than 18,996 text messages between March 10 and September 6, 2023, instructing her to delete inappropriate messages so her mother would not see them. In June 2023, Gibson transported the victim from Missouri to a campground in Arkansas, where he engaged in an illegal sexual act with her. He also admitted to committing a similar act at his home in Crawford County. Gibson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15.

The travel charge carries a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison, while the coercion and enticement charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years.