Washington man sentenced to 7 years for sex offense
A Washington man was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 7 years and 3 months in prison for traveling across state lines to engage in sexual activity with a 14-year-old.
James Russel Loar Jr., 40, will also have 15 years of supervised release after he has served his sentence. Loar was sentenced in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to a press release from the Department of Justice, on May 21, 2021, Loar traveled from Washington to Clay County, W.Va., to have sex with the juvenile.
The two had communicated via Snapchat for about a year, the release states. The victim’s parents learned of it and informed Loar of her age, but the communication continued, according to the Justice Department. The messages were sexual in nature and Loar also sent a pornographic picture to the victim, according to the release.
When he arrived in Clay County, he invited the victim to his truck, but her mother was driving past and intervened.
Loar will also be required to register as a sex offender.