FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — A Springdale man was sentenced Thursday (Sept. 14) to 60 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a girl for nearly seven years.
Jason Ellis, 34, pleaded guilty May 4 in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville to two counts of sexually exploiting a child and one count of possession of child pornography, according to federal court documents.
Ellis’ prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. While incarcerated, he’ll be required to undergo mental health treatment.
Prosecutors described Ellis as one of “the most prolific child rapists ever presented” in the Western District of Arkansas.
The 13-year-old victim told police in June 2016 that Ellis, who admitted to more than 70 rapes, had been abusing her since she was 6, according to court documents.
The victim told investigators Ellis recorded the abuse, which gradually escalated over seven years.
Prosecutors had pushed for a life sentence, arguing “Ellis stole the life the minor was intended to have for his own deviate sexual pleasure, and it should come at the cost of his freedom for the remainder of his life,” according to court documents.