Serial Child Rapist Sentenced to Life in Prison

United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the sentencing of REX LEE FURMAN, 53, to life in prison for preying on children both online and in-person. Following a three-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge David S. Doty, a jury on October 22, 2015, found FURMAN guilty of all the charges against him, including 13 counts of production of child pornography and related charges.

“This defendant is a determined and dangerous predator who has spent decades abusing and raping little girls,” said Assistant United States Attorney Melinda A. Williams. “As a result of today’s sentence, his days of harming the most vulnerable in our society have finally come to an end.”

As proven at trial, while residing in Federal Dam, Minn., FURMAN photographed and sexually abused two young girls who were then in his care. He also collected images and videos of child pornography, including videos of girls as young as three-years-old being sexually violated.

During a search of the Federal Dam residence, FURMAN informed law enforcement that they would probably find thousands of images of child pornography, including images that he had produced. An investigation revealed more than five hundred such videos and images, including of the two girls who had been in his care. FURMAN had equipped his room with tools to enable the abuse of children, including a mounted computer monitor over his bed, a mirror underneath the monitor and a security camera outside of his bedroom door to see anyone approaching.

FURMAN has two prior convictions for sexually abusing prepubescent girls. In 1981 FURMAN was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree in Wright County for sexual misconduct with a five-year-old girl. In 1999, FURMAN was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree in Hennepin County for sexually violating a developmentally disabled young girl in his care.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
In addition, if you know of any child who may have been a victim of exploitation, please contact the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit NCMEC’s web site at www.missingkids.com.

The Minnesota BCA, which leads the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Minneapolis Police Department, which is a member of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, investigated the case.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams and Deputy Chief Alexandra R. Gelber of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

Defendant Information:

REX LEE FURMAN, 53
Federal Dam, Minn.

Convicted:
• Production of child pornography, 13 counts
• Distribution of child pornography, 2 counts
• Possession of child pornography, 1 count
• Receipt of child pornography, 1 count
• Committing a sex offense while being required to register as a sex offender, 1 count

Sentenced:
• Life in prison