Cape Girardeau man accused of sex with missing Boone County, Mo., teenager

A Cape Girardeau man charged with second-degree statutory rape Friday is accused by authorities of having sex with a Boone County, Mo., teenager missing since November.

Authorities say they found the 15-year-old girl living with Michael J. Lee, 28, on Thursday, after receiving information about her possible whereabouts from the Boone County Sheriff's Department.

According to a probable-cause affidavit filed with the court by Cape Girardeau detective Darren Estes, who interviewed the girl's mother, Lee and the 15-year-old girl had been having a sexual relationship for about a year. The girl's mother told police she'd allowed her daughter to stay with Lee for four weeks in June of last year. Her daughter went missing Nov. 19 and hadn't been contact with anyone since that time.

When Lee was interviewed by police, and also given a polygraph test, he admitted to having intercourse with the 15 year old, according to the affidavit.

Lee's bond has been set at $100,000 cash-only by Associate Circuit Court Judge Gary A. Kamp, who also listed additional conditions of release.

Lee won't be released until he's set up to use an alcohol monitoring device 24 hours a day, seven days a week; he must not possess a firearm and must have no contact with the alleged victim.

Lee is a prior offender in Cape Girardeau County, where he served six months in jail in 2005 for a misdemeanor domestic assault charge.

There's been no court date set in Lee's pending case.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635