KC Reporter

A man from Richland, Missouri, Robert Norman Kennedy, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool handed down the sentence, which includes a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration. Kennedy will also be required to register as a sex offender and comply with both federal and state registration requirements.

Kennedy, aged 41, pleaded guilty on January 18, 2024. The victim reported that Kennedy had sexually abused her starting at age 10 and forced her to travel from Missouri through several states where the abuse continued. They eventually reached Georgia, living in a van and later in a tent at Kennedy's brother's residence before law enforcement arrested him on unrelated charges in December 2022.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller and investigated by the FBI under Project Safe Childhood. This initiative was launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse by utilizing resources at various government levels to locate and prosecute offenders while rescuing victims.

Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys' Offices along with the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. More information about this initiative can be found on their website.