Springfield News-Leader
A Webster County man is facing five felony charges after allegations of inappropriate behavior with several children.
Justin Lester, 32, was charged with multiple counts of child molestation, statutory sodomy and child abuse.
According to a probable cause statement, the allegations against Lester include him watching children shower, asking children to perform sexual acts on him, forcing children to sleep in bed with him and inappropriately touching children.
The child abuse charge is for allegedly punching a child with a closed fist as a form of discipline.
According to the statement, Webster County Sheriff’s Office deputies interviewed Lester on Sunday and he initially denied inappropriately touching the children and then said he might have touched one of the children’s breasts while roughhousing.
The statement says the child victims in this case were taken into protective custody.
Statutory sodomy carries a possible life sentence in Missouri. The child molestation charges are punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Lester does not have an attorney listed for this case.