OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that MARK ADAM PEIRANO dob:  07/24/1972 formerly of Spokane Missouri was found guilty on August 25, 2016 by a Christian County jury of one count of statutory sodomy in the first degree of a child less than twelve and five counts of child molestation in the first degree   A jury trial was commenced before the Honorable Judge Eric Eighmy on August 22, 2016 and concluded on August 25, 2016.

The jury deliberated for over an hour before finding the defendant guilty of all counts charged.  During the course of the trial the jury had heard evidence regarding prior sexual offenses committed by the defendant.  After finding the defendant guilty, the jury was asked to deliberate for a second time to determine whether or not the defendant was a predatory sexual offender.   The jury found defendant to be a predatory sexual offender.

Formal sentencing is scheduled before the Honorable Eric Eighmy on December 19, 2016 at 1:00 p.m.

The range of punishment statutory sodomy in the first degree of a child less than twelve and child molestation in the first degree when the offender has been found to be a predatory sexual offender is a life sentence with eligibility for parole.  The number of years the offender must serve prior to being eligible for parole is determined by the court and must be a number of years within the range to which the person could have been sentenced if not found to be a predatory sexual offender.  Pursuant to current statute the range of punishment for statutory sodomy in the first degree of a child less than twelve is a term of years not less than ten or life.  The range of punishment for child molestation in the first degree class B felony is five years to fifteen years. Pursuant to current statute an offender found to be a predatory sexual offender shall not receive a final discharge from parole.

The investigation of this case was handled by Sgt. Shayne Duryea of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Amy Fite with First Assistant Kristen Tuohy assisting during the jury trial.

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John Young joined the Christian County Prosecutor’s Office in August of 2016.  John received his undergraduate degree in 1986 from Missouri State University majoring in Political Science and a minor in history. He received his Juris Doctorate from University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law in 1989.

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on June 10, 2016, Beau Gormley DOB: 4/24/1985 of Republic, MO, was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Laura Johnson.

Gormley previously had pled guilty on April 15, 2016, to the charged count of statutory rape in the second degree. The incident occurred in June 2014 at a business in Ozark, MO. The victim was 16 and an employee of Gormley at the time the incident occurred.

At sentencing, the State requested the Court sentence the defendant to the Missouri Department of Corrections, and at the very least that the defendant be sent to the Missouri Department of Corrections under the Sex Offender Assessment statute. Defendant through counsel requested the Court place Defendant on probation.

The Court sentenced Gormley to seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections pursuant to S559.115, Sex Offender Assessment Unit.

The Sex Offender Assessment Unit is an intensive assessment program for sex offenders that provides a complete psychological assessment to determine an offender’s extent of psychopathology, risk to reoffend and amenability to treatment. It also offers basic relapse prevention education. The Sex Offender Assessment Unit is normally 120 days in the Mo. Department of Corrections. After the assessment is completed, the Court will be given a recommendation, and the Court will then determine whether probation should be granted.

Statutory rape in the second-degree is a class C felony. The range of punishment for a class C felony is a term of incarceration not to exceed seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine not to exceed $5000.

This case was investigated by the Ozark Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant
Prosecuting Attorney Anna Bunch.

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OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that Joshua D. Johnson, dob: 04-03-1989 formerly of Springfield, MO, pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement on June 2, 2016 to one count of statutory rape in the first degree of a child less than 12, two counts of statutory sodomy of a child less than 12, and three counts of endangering the welfare of child first degree in front of the Honorable Senior Judge John Waters.  Per the terms of the plea agreement, JOHNSON received a total sentence of twenty-three (23) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.  The charges stem from offenses that occurred in a residence located in Christian County Missouri between February 1, 2012 and August 27, 2013.  The child victim was ages 6, 7, 8 during this time frame.  The child ultimately disclosed the sexual abuse at her school.   The child was forensically interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center in Springfield, Missouri.  Sgt. Shayne Duryea of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office was assigned to the investigation.

Judge Waters sentenced the defendant to nineteen (19) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections on the one count of statutory rape in the first degree of a child less than 12, and nineteen (19) years for each count of statutory sodomy in the first degree of a child less than 12 with those three counts running concurrent and four (4) years on each count of endangering the welfare of a child 1^st degree with those counts running concurrent.  Judge Waters ordered counts II, IV, V to run consecutively to counts VI, VII, and VIII for a total sentence of twenty-three (23) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections probation was denied.

The case was prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Amy Fite and was investigated by Sgt. Shayne Duryea of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.

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OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that on May 13, 2016  SHAUN M. BUDD DOB:  4/22/1998 of Ozark, MO was sentenced to TWELVE (12) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections by the Honorable Judge Laura Johnson.  Budd previously had pled guilty on 2/19/2016 to three counts of statutory sodomy 1^st degree with a child less than 12.  This plea was pursuant to a plea agreement wherein the agreed term of years was twelve (12) on each count to run concurrent with the State opposing probation.  On May 13, 2016, the State requested the Court to sentence the defendant to the Missouri Department of Corrections and defendant through counsel requested the Court to place Defendant on probation.  The Court heard arguments from counsel for the State and counsel for Defendant as well as the victim’s mother and the Defendant’s grandmother and step-father prior to sentencing Defendant to TWELVE (12) YEARS on each count to run concurrent and be served in the Missouri Department of Corrections with probation denied.

All three counts involve the defendant having deviate sexual intercourse with a five- year-old girl.  The acts occurred on July 22, 2015 at a residence in Ozark, MO.

This case was investigated by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Amy Fite.

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