Fulton man sentenced for high-speed pursuit, child molestation
A Fulton man will be going to prison for at least 20 years for his role in initiating a high-speed chase in June 2017, with four children as passengers.
Raymond Webster Ryan, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree and four counts of child molestation in the second degree before Judge Brouck Jacobs in Callaway County court on Friday.
Callaway County deputies were looking into allegations that Ryan had sexually abused the four children, who were between the ages of 11 and 15. They learned his car had been spotted in the area with three of those children, and an additional fourth child, inside.
When deputies tried to pull him over, he fled. According to authorities, he drove more than 90 mph during the chase, which ended in Wildwood, Missouri.
He tried to flee on foot but was taken into custody.
Ryan apparently admitted that he had fondled the genitals of each of the four victims between January and June 2017.
He was sentenced to one year in jail for endangering the welfare of the children in the car chase, and 12 years for each of the four child molestation charges.
Jacobs ordered he serve some of the sentences consecutively, which brought his total to 25 years. He will not be eligible for parole for more than 20 years.
