Two Independence residents have been charged in relation to a case in which a child allegedly was regularly molested over the course of several years.
According to court documents, Steven Nelson, 42, and Paula Stark, 47, were arrested following an Independence Police Department investigation.
On April 12, an officer was sent to Bingham Middle School regarding the report of a sexual offence against a girl with low verbalization skills, according to the police probable cause statement, which explains the victim’s teacher reported the victim made that comments that her “bottom hurt.”
The victim was provided with dolls and was asked to show what she meant. Court documents state the victim used the female doll, labeled as her, to show what occurred, using another doll she described as her abuser. The victim repeated the display with the dolls in front of a Children’s Division worker. The girl was taken into protective custody.
According to the probable cause statement, Nelson admitted to having sex with the victim several times a week since the victim was 3 years old.
Stark was interviewed by the Children’s Division worker, who asked Stark how long she knew of Nelson’s actions. According to court documents, Stark stated she caught him in the act approximately two months ago, and made a report when the victim 3 three years old. According to the documents, no report has been found to support her claim, and Nelson later told the officer Stark caught him in the act “five or six times,” and ignored “numerous chances” to report him. Stark later admitted to having never filed a report
In an interview with Nelson on April 18, conducted by the officer, Nelson stated he would continue to have sex with the victim if given the chance, according to the case’s probable cause statement.
Nelson is charged with statutory rape in the first degree, as well as statutory sodomy.
Stark is charged with two counts endangering the welfare of a child for failing to protect the victim.
Abuse leads to rape, endangerment charges
Two Independence residents have been charged in relation to a case in which a child allegedly was regularly molested over the course of several years.
www.examiner.net
A police report detailing how Steven Nelson allegedly repeatedly raped a 14-year-old girl with autism, while his partner, Paula Stark, allegedly knew about it and said nothing is as disturbing as any.
The facts of the case came to light on April 12, when the girl, able to speak only in fragments, told her teacher at George Caleb Bingham Middle School that her “bottom hurt.”
The police report notes that Nelson, when interviewed, admitted to police that he had been having sex with the girl multiple times each week for the last couple of years, but had been also doing so through most of her life. He told police he first had sex with her when she was 3 years old, the police probable cause report says.
“He was vague in his disclosure (about) how often and how many times he had sex with (the child) between three and twelve years of age,” according to the statement from April 18 notes. “His response was that he has always had sex with (her).”
The report goes on. “Nelson stated if given the chance he would have sex with (the child) as often as he has been the last two years.”
The child is now in the care of the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Children’s Division.
When interviewed by a state worker, the police document notes that Stark said she caught Nelson having sex with the child for the first time within the last two months, but also claimed, according to the police report, that she reported the sexual encounter when when the girl was age 3. No such report was found by the state workers to support that claim.
“Paula Stark claimed she did not report the sexual abuse to police because she was scared of her family being broken up,” the report says.
The police report notes that during the police interview, as opposed to her interview with the Children’s Division worker, Stark claimed that she only came to know of the abuse in the last couple of weeks.
“She states that she meant to do something about it, but never did,” the report reads. “She also claimed she had reported the incidents many times, then admitted that she lied about that and had never made a report.”
Independence couple charged in lifelong rape of 14-year-old girl with autism
A 14-year-old girl with autism was raped for years in the home of a couple from Independence, Missouri. Paula K. Stark and Steven S. Nelson were charged on multiple felony counts.
www.kansascity.com