Mexico man convicted of statutory sodomy

According to Jacob Shellabarger, the Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney, Jimmy Burns, 44, of Mexico, was convicted for attempted statutory sodomy and resisting arrest.

The release said that an eight-man, four-woman jury convicted Burns for sexual contact with an 8-year-old girl after he was arrested in June of 2017.

“Because of a jury’s verdict, this beautiful young woman can grow and heal having told the truth about what Jimmy Burns did to her – and can know that our community supported her and her family when she told the truth,” Shellabarger said. “This jury delivered a firm, powerful message that when children are hurt in our community that our community will hold the guilty accountable, protect the innocent and ensure a fair trial. This case was difficult for jurors to listen to in that it was evidence of sexual abuse to a young child, but I commend them for the focus, attention and resolve in seeing the case through to a just guilty verdict. Justice has come for that little girl.”

Burns will be sentenced on March 16, 2018.