Cape man charged with rape

A Cape Girardeau man was charged with attempted rape and second-degree felony assault Saturday.

According to a statement issued by the Cape Girardeau County prosecutor's office, Ronnie Whitby Preyer, 26, and a 31-year-old woman went for a drive Friday night. He took the woman to a trailer in Jackson and attacked her in the car, punching her in the face when she resisted him, according to the probable-cause statement.

Preyer is registered as a sex offender with the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Jackson police officers arrested Preyer on Saturday. Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle called Preyer "a prior and persistent offender," citing convictions for rape, robbery, burglary, driving while intoxicated and failure to register as a sex offender. Bond was set at $100,000.