Pulaski County man charged with raping girl, held on $500,000 bond
ST. ROBERT, Mo. (KMIZ)
A St. Robert man has been charged with rape after allegedly sexually assaulting a girl in October.
James Vaughn, 31, is charged with first-degree rape and sodomy. He is being held at the Pulaski County Jail on a $500,000 bond, according to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. A bond review is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, while a preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. Monday, March 6.
The Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that Vaughn was initially taken into custody for active warrants from Alabama. Extradition to Alabama has been canceled due to the Missouri charges. The Sheriff’s Office also said he is a person of interest in multiple cases, and also asked on social media for any potential victims to come forward.
The probable cause statement says in December, the victim was afraid to talk because she was afraid of what Vaughn would do to her family. She was 14 years old on Oct. 18, 2022, the day of the attack occurred, the statement says. She did not give an address of where it allegedly happened, but was able to give a description of the area, as well as a vehicle.
She allegedly told law enforcement that it happened in a brown taxi-style car with an American flag decal on the back window. The assault occurred outside the apartments down the road from Kid’s Harbor Too, and the vehicle was found in the 15000 block of Texas Road in St. Robert, the statement says.
The child said he boyfriend picked her up with some of his friends and took her to Vaughn’s house. Vaughn and the minor boyfriend were talking about drugs and the boyfriend allegedly said he didn’t have enough money.
The assault allegedly happened shortly after in a car while a male the victim allegedly referred to as “Matt” was in the backseat. That person allegedly saw the assault and laughed while it was occurring, the statement says. The victim tried to fight back.
Vaughn made the girl take a bath following the assault, the probable cause statement says.
