Biloxi man sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual battery of 11-year-old
GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV) – Harrison County District Attorney W. Crosby Parker announced that Decruis Tatum, 27, of Biloxi, pleaded guilty to sexual battery before Circuit Court Judge Christopher Schmidt and was sentenced to serve 50 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Tatum was the victim’s stepfather and had been a part of her life since she was a toddler.
Authorities said law enforcement became aware of the crimes after a family friend reported the abuse. The family friend also ensured the child received medical treatment after learning of the allegations.
Police arranged a forensic interview at the Child Advocacy Center, where the then-11-year-old victim disclosed that in 2024, Tatum entered her bedroom at their Gulfport home early one Saturday morning while others in the house were asleep and began discussing sex with her.
According to prosecutors, the victim said Tatum had several questions typed into the Notes app on his cellphone, including: “What did you want to know about sex?” and “Do you want to start with the basics?”
After confirming everyone else in the home was still asleep, Tatum directed the child into the kitchen, where the sexual assault occurred, authorities said.
The victim reported the assault the following evening and was taken to a hospital shortly afterward for a sexual assault examination.
Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Magee, who prosecuted the case, said investigators with the Gulfport Police Department later obtained a search warrant for Tatum’s DNA to compare it with evidence collected during the victim’s rape kit examination.
“Results of the DNA analysis revealed that sperm was present in the samples collected from the victim’s rape kit and was a match to Tatum’s DNA,” Magee said.
Following Tatum’s guilty plea, Judge Christopher L. Schmidt delivered strong remarks during sentencing.
“These are the kinds of cases, Mr. Tatum, that sink a person’s stomach with sickness,” Schmidt said. “The raping of an 11-year-old child ranks among one of the worst cases, maybe worse than homicide, because I don’t think you can fix a person who rapes a defenseless child.”
Due to the nature of the crime, Tatum will be required to serve every day of his 50-year sentence without the possibility of parole or early release.
District Attorney Parker praised the actions of the family friend who first reported the abuse and helped the victim obtain medical care.
“I want to commend the quick action of the family friend who made sure the victim received a medical examination and forensic interview,” Parker said. “Those actions allowed the Gulfport Police Department and the Child Advocacy Center to preserve and collect critical evidence that ultimately helped hold this defendant accountable and resulted in him spending the next 50 years in prison. As for the defendant, I think the Judge’s words say it all.”
The case was investigated by the Gulfport Police Department with assistance from the Child Advocacy Center and prosecuted by the Harrison County District Attorney’s Office.
