ASHEVILLE – Joseph Dwayne Jumper, 39, of Robbinsville, was sentenced on Thursday, June 18 to 144 months in prison for the sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Jumper to serve a lifetime of supervised release, and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Chief Doug Pheasant, of the Cherokee Indian Police Department, joined U.S. Attorney Murray in making Thursday’s announcement.
According to court documents and Thursday’s sentencing hearing, between July and August 2018, Jumper sexually abused a minor female entrusted in his care. As Jumper previously admitted in court, the defendant sexually abused the victim on multiple occasions. The sexual abuse took place in Graham County, within the boundaries of the Indian reservation.
On Jan. 3, 2020, Jumper pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact of a child under 12.
In making Thursday’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
– U.S. Department of Justice release
