RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A Pearl man pled guilty to sexual battery and gratification of lust of a 15-year-old girl.

Judge Dewey Arthur sentenced Steven Joseph Tatum, 45, to 30 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) for sexual battery, with 15 years to be served day for day without the possibility of parole or early release.

Tatum was also sentenced to 15 years for gratification of lust. The two sentences will run concurrently, according to Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney Bubba Bramlett.

Upon his release, Tatum will be placed on supervised probation for an additional five years and will be required to register as a sex offender.

On April 15, 2024, Bramlett said the victim’s parents learned that Tatum had sexually abused their daughter and reported it to Pearl police. Offices obtained search warrants for digital evidence, and a forensic interview of the 15-year-old was conducted by the Mississippi Child’s Advocacy Center.

During the investigation, officers uncovered that Tatum had manipulated the victim through electronic communication.