Fulton man charged with statutory rape, child molestation

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Fulton man was charged on Wednesday with multiple child sex crimes.

Justin Stegeman, 33, was charged in Callaway County with sexual misconduct involving a child younger than 15 years old, fourth-degree child molestation and second-degree statutory rape. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. A bond hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

The probable cause statement says the victim spoke with police at Capital Region Medical Center on June 19 while a sexual assault exam was being conducted. The victim was allegedly assaulted on June 12 and June 18 at Stegeman’s residence, the statement says.

Stegeman allegedly first exposed himself to the youth on June 12 in a pool before attempting to rape them, the statement says. Stegeman allegedly “apologized” to the victim, court documents allege.

Stegeman had called the victim’s parent on June 18 to ask if they would head over to his residence to swim again and claimed his children would be there, the statement says. When the victim arrived, Stegeman’s children were not there, the statement says.

Stegeman allegedly then raped the youth after swimming, court documents say. The child texted their parent to pick them up, but Stegeman drove the victim back to just short of their residence. The parent noted Stegeman “dropped V1 off at the top of the road which was strange,” the probable cause statement says.

Law enforcement interviewed Stegeman on June 24 and he allegedly admitted to inappropriately touching the youth on June 12 and apologized for the June 18 incident, court documents say.