PEARL, Miss. (WJTV) – A Pearl man pled guilty to statutory rape and gratification of lust of a child.

Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney Bubba Bramlett announced that Dejuan Wells, 27, was sentenced to 30 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) for statutory rape and 15 years for gratification of lust of a child. The sentences will run concurrently.

Wells must register as a sex offender once he’s been released from prison.

On June 2, 2023, Bramlett said the child’s mother discovered the abuse and reported it to Pearl police. During a forensic interview, the child disclosed details of the abuse.