Jefferson City man indicted on several sex, assault charges

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man currently in prison faces more than a dozen crimes related to sexual and physical abuse.

A Cole County grand jury inducted Francis H. Kempker of thirteen crimes, including rape, kidnapping, assault and armed criminal action. The indictment claims Kempker committed these crimes throughout 2016 to four different victims.

Kempker is currently in the Moberly Correctional Center on drug charges stemming from a 2017 case in Jefferson City.

The indictment, handed up today by a grand jury, lists a wide swath of times when Kempker allegedly sexually assaulted the victims. The indictment says in some cases, Kempker allegedly held the victims "for a substantial period" during the assaults. In one instance, Kempker is accused of buring a victim's feet with a propane torch.

An arraignment for Kempker is scheduled for Sept. 22.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson would not say when the office presented the case to the grand jury. He encouraged any other potential victims of Kempker to reach out to the Cole County Sheriff's Office.