Chaffee officer charged with offering to pay to see sex acts

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- A Chaffee police officer is charged with four counts of misdemeanor patronizing prostitution, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said Tuesday.

The charge is for offering something to another person so that person or a third person will engage in sexual conduct.

Deputies arrested Daniel Ayers, 31, of Cape Girardeau, in the Chaffee Police Department parking lot Monday, Walter said. Ayers was taken to the Scott County Jail, where he posted a $1,500 bond. He said Ayers was fired from the Chaffee Police Department after the charges were filed.

Walter said Chaffee police chief Martin Keys contacted his office about a week and a half ago after a woman told police Ayers had been offering women in groups of two or more cigarettes to perform sexual acts with each other in his presence while on duty.

"He had concerns about it," Walter said. "It is a small department, so he didn't want to do an internal investigation."

Keys could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

A sheriff's investigation, Walter said, revealed that on four occasions with four women Ayers reportedly offered women cigarettes if they would expose themselves to him or carry out sexual acts while he watched. Ayers did not participate in the activities other than as an observer, Walter said. When Ayers reportedly offered women a carton of cigarettes for a particular act, one of the women balked. The sheriff said he did not know if that was the woman who reported the incidents to Chaffee police, but two women came forward.

The women were acquaintances of Ayers, he said.

"We're still investigating this," Walter said, adding there may be more women involved, other incidents and additional charges forthcoming.

While this type of activity is not tolerated in Scott County, Walter said, it can happen despite best efforts of police background checks and on-the-job accountability.

"People expect more from us," as law enforcement officials, he said. "When something like this happens, it does need to be addressed."

carel@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127