Pled guilty to sexual abuse of a child

Two people were sentenced for their roles in the sexual abuse of a child in Jackson County.

Thirty-five-year-old Robert Bayliss Sr. and 35-year-old Christina Bayliss pled guilty to felony charges of sexual battery, touching of a child for lustful purposes, exploitation of a child, and conspiracy.

In April 2022, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the defendants after allegations were made that they participated in sex acts with a child.

During the course of the investigation, investigators determined that the defendants engaged in a scheme to commit sexual battery and to document the abuse in journals seized by investigators during the execution of search warrants in Jackson County.

They each received a 40-year sentence in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole or early release.