Ashland man charged with child molestation

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Ashland man was charged on Monday with several counts of child molestation.

Justin Thomas Franks, 46, was charged with two counts of first-degree child molestation and two counts of second-degree child molestation. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court appearance was set for Tuesday afternoon. Franks waived an arraignment and pleaded not guilty, according to court documents.

According to the probable cause statement, law enforcement was told that Franks molested the victim 16 times from February 2021-January 2024. During a recorded conversation on Wednesday, Jan. 24, Franks allegedly admitted to molesting the victim 15-20 times and stated additional sexual assaults occurred.

The statement also says the victim stated they were sodomized at least 10 times.