OZARK, MO — The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on June 4, 2025, the Honorable Laura Johnson sentenced Phillip L. Bilyeu to the Missouri Department of Corrections, following a plea of guilty as to one count and a jury trial as to three counts.

On March 19, 2025, the defendant entered a plea of guilty to the charge of Domestic Assault in the Third Degree.  The defendant was charged with punching Juvenile 1 in the stomach. The case proceeded to trial on the remaining three counts.  After three days of trial, March 24-26, 2025, the jury found the defendant guilty on all three counts of Child Molestation in the Second Degree. 

At the sentencing hearing, the judge sentenced the defendant to 4 years for the domestic assault, and 8 years for each of the counts of child molestation, with all sentences to run concurrently.

This case was investigated by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.  Michael Younker and Chris Aiken prosecuted the case, along with Legal Assistant Mia Long and Victim Advocate Cathryn Ables.