Former law enforcement officer charged with child molestation

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former law enforcement officer was charged on Tuesday in Callaway County with a pair of child sex crimes.

Paul Robert Winkler, 61, of Fulton, is charged with first-degree child molestation and enticing a child younger than 15 years old. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says Callaway County deputies were told on April about an alleged sex crime involving Winkler. The victim described a sexual assault to law enforcement that allegedly occurred during the summer of 2025.

The child victim allegedly described Winkler as possibly being drunk and that he had brought up the assault multiple times to the victim, court documents say.

Winkler was interviewed by a deputy and was described as a former corrections officer and former law enforcement officer in court documents. ABC 17 News has reached out to the Department of Public Safety.

Winkler allegedly did not remember the assault occurring, but he did not deny the victim’s allegations and claimed he may have been drinking, court documents say. He also allegedly told police the victim would not lie about something like that.

“If I was in an intoxicated state, the weakness or stupidity, then it's my fault and there's no excuse, there's no excuse for that type of behavior,” Winkler is quoted in court documents.