Las Vegas, Nevada - A North Las Vegas man was sentenced Tuesday to 16 years and four months in prison for kidnapping a girl in Arizona and repeatedly sexually assaulting her at his house in North Las Vegas, where he held her hostage.
“The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the serious nature of the defendant’s crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada. “Our office is grateful to the victim in this case for exemplifying strength and courage, and we’re thankful for the FBI’s and North Las Vegas Police Department’s hard work, which helped ensure the defendant’s conviction.”
“I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort put forth to ensure this defendant was brought to justice and will no longer be able to harm children again,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI. “Knowing that the defendant will serve the next 16 years in federal prison, ensures there is one less predator victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community. Our community is a lot safer because of today’s sentencing.”
According to court documents, Jimmy Carter Kim, 32, met and communicated with a 14-year-old girl through a social media application. Sometime between November 2 and 3, 2015, he and the victim met in person in Bullhead City, Arizona. Kim kidnapped the girl and drove them to his residence in North Las Vegas, where he held her hostage in a locked room for one month. He repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim, and took photos and videos of the assaults. On December 3, 2015, the victim escaped and called the police. Kim was arrested the same day.
Kim pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II sentenced Kim to 36 years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Chiou and Special Agent in Charge Rouse made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance by the North Las Vegas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elham Roohani and Christopher Burton prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
