Missouri park ranger charged with child sex crimes in Camden County
Matthew Sanders
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A ranger for Missouri State Parks was charged Sunday with three child sex crimes.
Prosecutors charged Billy G. Stephens III, 34, with child molestation, second-degree statutory sodomy, second-degree statutory rape, witness tampering and evidence tampering.
The Camden County Sheriff’s Office began investigating on Saturday after park ranger command staff told them about an interview with a victim, the sheriff’s office says in a news release.
“Rangers’ command staff cooperated fully with the investigation and assisted in devising a plan to take Stephens into custody,” the release states.
One victim told investigators that Stephens commits the abuse nightly and the abuse is accompanied by physical threats if the victims tell anyone, according to a probable cause statement.
It’s not clear where Stephens was arrested — the location is redacted in the probable cause statement. Stephens refused to speak with investigators without a lawyer, the statement says.
Stephens was booked into the Camden County Jail on Saturday and remained there Monday on no bond, according to online jail records.
Camden County Sheriff Chris Edgar said in the news release that the allegations against Stephens “are disturbing and, frankly, a betrayal of the trust our community puts in its law enforcement efforts. This office is committed to the equal administration of justice regardless of a suspect’s status as a law enforcement officer.”