Rush Hill man sentenced to 5 years in prison for Audrain County sex crimes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Audrain County man who was already sentenced to 50 years in prison for federal child sex crimes has been sentenced for his crimes in Audrain County.

William Dahl, 41, of Rush Hill, pleaded guilty in January in Audrain County to promoting child porn, two counts of child enticement and two counts of sexual assault. He was sentenced to five years in prison, which will be served at the same time as his federal sentence, a Monday press release from Audrain County Prosecutor Jacob Shellabarger says.

Dahl is currently serving time in a Missouri prison for child sex crimes out of Randolph County. He was sentenced to five years last year after he entered an Alford plea for first-degree statutory rape in Randolph County.  

He was previously sentenced 50 years in federal court in December 2023 for producing and two counts of receiving child pornography.

“The courage these victims of William Dahl showed today, to stand one after another and tell William Dahl he was finally held accountable for what he did to them, was amazing.” Shellabarger said in the release. William Dahl’s community now knows what these victims have known for years: that he had a long history of sexual assault, enticement, production of child pornography, and sexual assault, and that continued for years.

"Many in the community chose to protect Dahl, pushing these victims’ truth aside with comments like 'no one will believe you,' and 'nothing will happen to him.' The truth, a finding of guilt, has happened – and the truth of what these victims went through is now made plain: William Dahl’s practice of seeking out young women and assaulting and objectifying them, hiding behind his family’s name and reputation in the community has reached its end: in a prison cell.”