Man accused of sending teenager sexual messages
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Maries County prosecutors charged a Bland, Missouri man on Tuesday after he allegedly tried to solicit a minor into sexual conduct and give her alcohol.
Scott Gene Birmingham, 52, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest, third-degree assault and second-degree sexual misconduct.
According to a probable cause statement, someone contacted the Belle Police Department after discovering that Birmingham was sending their daughter Facebook messages.
In the messages, Birmingham allegedly sent photos of himself and asked inappropriate questions. According to court documents, Birmingham asked the teenager to hang out, saying he would bring alcoholic drinks. Police said the teen told Birmingham her age multiple times.
An investigator had the teenager send Birmingham a text on Sunday, inviting him over. Birmingham arrived at the home with alcohol and walked in without knocking; law enforcement arrived shortly after.
Court records stated that Birmingham hit someone, causing them to fall down the stairs before trying to run away from officers. Police said Birmingham was then "forcefully apprehended."
According to online court records and the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Sex Offender Registry, Birmingham has a criminal history. He pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct involving a child under 15 years old in 2012 in Taney County. That same year, he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual misconduct involving a child under 15 years old in Stone County. In 2018, he was sentenced to probation for being a sex offender within 500 feet of a park during the Belle Fair.
