Eldon man sentenced two consecutive life sentences for child sex crimes

MILLER COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Eldon man was sentenced on Wednesday to two consecutive life sentences for child sex crimes.

Joshua Shackley, 45, was found guilty earlier this year of two counts of statutory sodomy and one count of second-degree child molestation. He is currently being held at the Miller County Jail.

The jury took about an hour to reach a guilty verdict, according to previous reporting.

Shackley was charged in 2022 with three counts of statutory sodomy and one count of second-degree child molestation. Shackley’s victims were 10 and 12 years old at the time of the sexual assaults, according to a press release from the Miller County Prosecutor’s Office.

“In following our recommendation for maximum sentences, the court today properly sent a clear message about these types of crimes and to those who would prey on the most precious and vulnerable members of our community,” Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Howard said in a Wednesday release. “This individual had a prior history of property and drug crimes and in our assessment shouldn’t ever again be back out on the streets.”