MERCER COUNTY, WC (LOOTPRESS) – U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia recognized and honored the Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, Child Protect of Mercer County, the West Virginia DHHR, and a local Mercer County attorney as guardian ad litem as part of the Excellence in Victim Advocacy and Justice Awards.
Today’s ceremony was held at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston.
In Nov. 2023, Eric Phillips, 43, of Princeton, was sentenced in federal court to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing a young girl to engage in sexual activity with him. Phillips admitted to sending sexually explicit messages to the girl via text messaging and social media messaging apps.
“The case was investigated by Mercer County Sheriff’s Department Lt. S. A. Sommers as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It’s also indicative of the outstanding work done by the Mercer County Multi-Disciplinary Investigative Team, which is charged with bringing justice and healing for the abused children in Mercer County,” Thompson said before he presented officials with the award.
Both Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney David Pfeifer commended Lt. Sommers for his investigation into this case and said that the Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office works closely with Child Protect of Mercer County and the West Virginia DHHR employees to help young child victims to heal from the trauma inflicted upon them from child predators. Pfeifer said that “Child Protect of Mercer County not only provided an expert forensic interview of the child but also worked with her for years to make sure that she can cope with what happened to her.”
Cochran and Pfeifer both said that Lt. Sommers is a huge asset in the investigation of crimes against children in southern West Virginia. They also both thanked the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, Child Protect, Brittany Long of the prosecutor’s office, West Virginia DHHR representative Elizabeth Street, and local attorney Michael McGann, who served as the child victim’s guardian ad litem in this case.
Cochran said that “our prosecutors, law enforcement officers, victim advocates, guardian ad litems, DHHR workers, school personnel, and child protection agencies all want what is best for our kids here in Mercer County.” ”I am so very proud and blessed as a prosecuting attorney to have so many people in our community who love and support and do whatever they can possibly do to help our kids and to make sure that each child in Mercer County has the best opportunity possible to be the best person that they can be.”
Cochran further stressed that “all of us here in Mercer County greatly appreciate United States Attorney Will Thompson and his office for all their assistance in helping us make Mercer County the best it can be to raise a family here.” “He and his entire office have always been incredibly helpful and available to me and our lawyers here, not only in child sex crimes but also with many very serious drug and violent crimes and other crimes as well.” “He has been a huge help to Mercer County since he has been appointed as U.S. Attorney, and I think the world of him both personally and professionally. He clearly believes that all that matters is making people’s lives in Mercer County and southern West Virginia better.” “I truly believe he cares about doing what is right by the people of Mercer County and the others in his district, and that is what I appreciate most about him, that he and all of the people in his office are doing what they do for the right reasons.”
