Two men arrested in child rape case

Two men were arrested on Wednesday after they allegedly had sex with a child who later became pregnant.

Dereck L. Turnage and Gerald W. Walker Jr. were originally charged with first-degree statutory rape of a person less than 14 years of age earlier this week and were then taken into custody and booked into the Audrain County Jail.

Audrain County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted to the situation in May after the 13-year-old victim went to a local clinic for a medical issue and found out she was pregnant, according to court documents.

Turnage, 23, of Hannibal, allegedly began having sexual contact with the victim in December 2018, and investigators said he impregnated her, court documents said. Turnage also allegedly had sexual contact with the victim in three additional counties.

Turnage stopped cooperating with the investigation and is currently working for a heating and cooling company in the community without supervision, court documents said.

Walker allegedly had sexual contact with the victim in June 2018 while Walker was 18 and the victim was 13, court documents said. Walker is also in the community without supervision.

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