Man accused of molesting child at southwest Columbia park

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man is in the Boone County Jail after investigators claim he molested a child at a Bonnie View Park in Columbia on Sept. 14.

Matthew McCoy, 30, of Columbia, is charged in Boone County with second-degree child molestation of a youth younger than 12 years old. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A hearing was held on Monday.

The probable cause statement says the victim was riding their bike at the park after 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 when McCoy went up to them, put his arm around the victim and molested them. The victim yelled out for a friend who was riding bikes with them and McCoy allegedly tried to say he “fell,” the statement says.

McCoy had allegedly been staring at the victim just prior to the attack. The victim alleged then ran to a soccer goal to hide from McCoy, the statement says.

The mother of the victim told police they saw McCoy back at the park on Thursday, Sept. 17 and had received a photo of him, the statement says. The mother told police residents and parents in the area had shared information through a Facebook group chat.

McCoy was allegedly seen at the Columbia library on the day of the attack, police wrote. The victim was able to identify McCoy from a photo lineup provided by police.

Police wrote in the statement that McCoy had been reported before in April 2025 for following someone at Fairview Park and he allegedly chased someone at Bonnie View Park on June 11.