FAYETTEVILLE, AR – Isaac James Melder, 42, from Yellville, was sentenced to 30 years in prison without parole for enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity through the internet.
The sentencing took place on February 13, under the direction of Judge Timothy L. Brooks in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. Court documents reveal that in May 2022, a fourteen-year-old girl was reported missing after not boarding her school bus in the afternoon.
A comprehensive search led by multiple law enforcement agencies uncovered internet communications between Melder and the minor through an Xbox, discussing plans to run away and live in a cave in Marion County’s wilderness.
The investigation also found Melder had been grooming the minor and her family, providing them with groceries, money, alcohol, and marijuana, and referring to the victim as his wife.
Melder was discovered with the minor in a cave on June 22, 2022, following a tip from an informant, leading to his immediate arrest. After being indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in April 2023, Melder pleaded guilty in July 2023.
The announcement of the sentencing was made by U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas.