East Prairie man faces felony child-molestation charges

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- An East Prairie, Missouri, man is accused of sexually abusing several children.

Arlen "Russ" Lee Jones, 76, of East Prairie is charged with three felony counts each of first-degree statutory sodomy and first-degree child molestation.

Jones also faces three felony counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.

Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore said the investigation began Monday when a deputy received a complaint from a county resident who said their child had been sexually assaulted by Jones.

A short time later, Higgins and the deputy found Jones and requested he participate in a videotaped interview.

During the course of the interview at the Mississippi County Detention Center, deputies developed probable cause to believe Jones had subjected several children younger than 6 years old to sexual contact and had engaged in deviant sexual intercourse with several children under 6 years of age, according to a news release from the sheriff.

At the conclusion of the interview, Jones was placed under arrest and booked into the Mississippi County Detention Center.

Each of the incidents, according to the deputy's report, involved a victim younger than 6 years old and took place while the children were entrusted to Jones' care.

Additional victims had been identified in Mississippi County and elsewhere, so the investigation continues and additional charges are expected, Moore said.