Mississippi Coast man headed to prison for molesting child during holiday visit

A Vancleave man is headed to prison for 15 years after pleading guilty to felony charge of touching a child for lustful purposes, according the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.

Judge Keith Miller sentenced Jack Douglas Hart, 30, on Monday. Because of the nature of the crime, Hart will have to serve a day-for-day prison sentence. He will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The victim was in town visiting for the holidays in November 2022 when the crime occurred.

A witness at the home where the crime occurred became suspicious when she went to the look for the child and found her alone in Hart’s bedroom.

When the victim walked out of the bedroom, the release said, she immediately told relatives that Hart had touched her sexually.

Assistant District Attorney Justin Lovorn prosecuted the case.

“The protection of our children will always be a top priority of this office,” District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said. I” encourage all parents and guardians to have early conversations with their children about body safety and to foster an environment where children feel safe to disclose abuse.

“There is an abundance of resources online to help with the conversation,” McIlrath said. “It takes a great deal of bravery for victims to come forward and stand up to their abuser. Because of this young victim’s bravery, we were able to hold this defendant accountable for this crime and potentially prevent further abuse.”