Cape Girardeau man charged with sex crimes

Jeffrey Whitley, 35, of Cape Girardeau was charged last week with five felony counts relating to alleged sex crimes involving a minor younger than 14 years old.

Whitley was charged with two counts of first-degree statutory rape and three counts of statutory sodomy.

The charges came after an employee at a school disclosed to police that the alleged victim said she had been sexually assaulted by Whitley, according to a probable-cause statement signed by an officer whose name was redacted. In interviews with police, the girl explained the abuse, which she said began when she was 11 or 12 years old. Whitley denied the accusations, according to the report.

Whitley is in Cape Girardeau jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash-only bond, issued by Judge Frank Miller.