Federal Sentence Marks End of Long Investigation Into Kalamazoo Predator
A Kalamazoo man will spend three decades behind bars after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting a 13-year-old girl. Devonte Andrew Edwards received 360 months in federal prison on April 8, 2026.
The sentence marks the culmination of an investigation that began in spring 2025 when Child Protective Services received a call about a missing 13-year-old girl who had run away from home with an adult male.
Child Reportedly Met Predator Through Social Media App
According to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, Edwards met the girl through a social media app. Police forensic examination of the girl's phone revealed she was near Edwards' residence when she went missing.
A search warrant executed at Edwards' apartment on Clayborne Drive in Kalamazoo seized his electronic devices including cell phones, a tablet and a laptop.
Investigators discovered:
- Photos and videos of Edwards sexually assaulting the 13-year-old
- Over 200 videos of children ranging from toddlers to young teenagers engaged in various sexual acts
- Messages between Edwards and other people with sexual interests in children
Message Reveals Predatory Intent
The investigation uncovered chilling messages in which Edwards bragged about his sexual assaults. According to court documents, Edwards wrote in one message:
"The 13-year-old really made me want to do this for the rest of my life"
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey described Edwards as someone who "enjoyed finding children to sexually assault, enjoyed making recordings of his sexual assaults and enjoyed bragging about it to his friends."