Juries convict three men of child sex crimes

Juries in Georgia, Louisiana and Missouri convicted three men of sex offenses involving children. In Effingham County, Georgia, Jacob Edgar Knowlton was found guilty of rape, aggravated sodomy and child molestation involving an 11-year-old; he faces sentencing Nov. 5 and must register as a sex offender for life. In Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Ernest Epley was convicted of five sexual offenses stemming from allegations of abuse over eight years and faces up to 90 years in prison. In Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, Jeffrey Lynn Whitley was convicted of two counts of statutory rape and three counts of statutory sodomy involving a child, and jurors recommended a 215-year sentence; formal sentencing is set for Dec. 15.