Molester receives life in prison

A Canton man was sentenced to life in prison last month for the sexual battery of a 12-year-old, District Attorney John K. “Bubba” Bramlett, Jr. announced.

The man, Keith Montrago Jackson, 46, was sentenced to life in prison by Circuit Court Judge Dewey Arthur on Feb. 13. 

A jury found Jackson guilty of sexual battery of a child on February 7, 2023. 

“I would like to thank the many people who made this guilty verdict possible: law enforcement with the Canton Police Department, the nurses and doctors at Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital emergency room, the analysts at the MS Forensics Laboratory, and the jurors who showed up to serve for jury duty and convicted Keith Jackson,” Bramlett said.

Accoridng to Brameltt, the victim testified that Jackson, her mother's then-boyfriend, took her to get a snack at Love's Truck Stop in Canton, then sexually assaulted her in the driveway of their shared home inside his Chevy Blazer.

After disclosing the assault to staff at her school the next day, she was taken to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital where a sexual assault examination was performed. 

“This case highlights the importance of talking to our children about what to do if someone assaults them,” Brameltt said. “This child disclosed to a trusted adult the next day enabling officers to quickly get the child to the hospital for a sexual assault examination.” 

Evidence collected during the exam was analyzed by the Mississippi Forensics Lab. Analysts were able to match Jackson's DNA to samples taken from the victim’s body during the exam. 

“The DNA evidence that was collected during that examination was a key factor in the successful prosecution of this man,” Bramlett said.

The jury reportedly deliberated for 10 minutes before reaching a unanimous guilty verdict.

The life sentence that the defendant was ordered to serve will be served day for day without the possibility of early release or parole, Bramlett said.