Cape man arrested for sexual abuse of a minor

A 20-year-old Cape Girardeau man was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion that he sexually abused a 13-year-old girl.

Cape Girar­deau police arrested Joshua Jonathan Smith, 305 Perry Ave., at 2:18 a.m. Monday, just a few hours after police had taken a report of sexual abuse involving the 13-year-old, said Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Barry Hovis.

The alleged abuse had happened about noon Thursday, according to police reports, when Smith invited the girl to watch a pornographic film with him and began touching her inappropriately.

Hovis said it wasn't clear whether the girl's adult guardian had found out about the incident immediately or just before it was reported to police about 11 p.m. Sunday night.

Police arrested Smith after he tried to establish contact with the victim early Monday morning. Police went to the scene and talked to Smith, who admitted to rubbing the victim's "breast and back," according to a probable-cause statement supporting an arrest warrant issued Monday morning. During a search police also found a small bag of marijuana in Smith's pocket, the statement said.

Smith was arrested on the scene and police held him while the arrest warrant was issued, a common practice in felony cases, Hovis said.

Smith was in the Cape Gir­ar­deau City Jail on Monday afternoon, awaiting transport to the Cape Girardeau County Jail, Hovis said. He faces two felony charges of child molestation, a felony charge of supplying pornographic material to a minor and a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge -- all state charges filed by Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle.

Bond was set at $10,000 with special conditions that Smith have no direct or indirect contact with the victim and that he stay at least 500 feet from her residence.

msanders@semissourian.com

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