Cape police charge man with sexual abuse of a child

A Cape Girardeau man tried to sexually abuse a child, showing her pornography and threatening to kill her if she did not cooperate, two years ago, police said.

The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Andrew J. Turner, 34, with attempted statutory sodomy, sexual misconduct and furnishing pornography to a minor.

Investigators alerted Cape Girardeau police after conducting an interview with the 7-year-old victim, who said Turner tried to abuse her about two years ago, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case by detective Matthew Peters.

In the taped interview, the victim said Turner asked her to perform oral sex on him, Peters wrote.

The victim said Turner tried to bribe her with ice cream, showed her adult pornography and then threatened to kill her with a sword if she did not comply, Peters wrote.

The victim was unable to remember specifically when the incident occurred, but Turner lived in Cape Girardeau from December 2014 to September 2015, when police believe it occurred, Peters wrote.

In an interview with police, Turner denied the allegations, saying he’d previously used drugs, including near-daily use of methamphetamine, but he would not have assaulted the girl, even while high, according to the statement.

Turner suggested the victim possibly had confused him with someone else or been coached to lie to investigators, Peters wrote.

Turner first agreed to take a polygraph test but then declined when police tried to administer it, according to the statement.

Turner’s bond was set at $40,000 with the condition he have no contact with the victim.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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