A Georgia man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual involvement with a 12-year-old Alabama girl.

Darvin Jerrell Williams, 28, pleaded guilty earlier this year to unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines and for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.

On Thursday, a federal judged handed down the sentence for the Douglasville man. The judge also ordered that Williams remain on supervised release for five years following his 20-year prison term, according Middle District of Alabama Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson.

Court documents show that Williams, between December 2023 and January 2024, communicated with the pre-teen girl through text messages and Instagram.

Through multiple messages over approximately a month’ s time, Williams persuaded the victim to allow him to come pick her up and discussed his desire for sexual activity with her on multiple occasions, records state.

On Jan. 8, 2024, Williams picked the girl up at her home in Tallassee and took her back to Georgia, where authorities say he engaged in sexual activity with the girl.

The victim was reported missing the same day Williams picked her up and law enforcement immediately began searching for her. Law enforcement located the victim back in her hometown the next day.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Tallassee Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara S. Ratz prosecuted.