Moberly man accused of molesting child in park

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was charged with child sex crimes after he allegedly sexually assaulted a child Monday night near a park off of Grand Avenue in Moberly.

David Wyatt, 51, of Moberly, was charged on Tuesday with child kidnapping and two counts of third-degree child molestation of a child younger than 14 years old. He is being held at the Randolph County Jail on a $150,000 bond. A court date has not been set.

According to a press release from the Moberly Police Department, police were called to a report of child molestation and kidnapping in the 300 block of Grand Avenue and arrested Wyatt. A probable cause statement filed by police says that a youth said they were walking when a man they didn’t know – Wyatt – approached them.

Wyatt allegedly asked to walk with the child and asked to borrow a lighter, the statement says. Wyatt allegedly pulled the youth into the park and sexually assaulted them after they fell, the statement says.

Wyatt allegedly followed the child to a store, and the youth said they were going to use the bathroom and told Wyatt to wait outside, the statement says. The child allegedly told the store manager that they were assaulted, and the manager locked the store door and called police, court documents say.

Police found Wyatt, who allegedly admitted to the assault and claimed he didn’t know the child’s age, the statement says. Wyatt allegedly told police that he tried to enter the store, but left after learning the door was locked.