Hearing rescheduled for Dexter man accused of sex with inmate

KENNETT, Mo. -- A Stoddard County jailer accused of having sexual contact with a female inmate had his hearing rescheduled last week.

According to court documents, 29-year-old William R. Dowdy of Dexter, Mo., will next appear in a Dunklin County courtroom at 10:30 a.m. April 9, after his attorney and Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Sokoloff rescheduled his Feb. 27 appearance.

Charges against Dowdy stem from an incident which allegedly took place in January at the Stoddard County Jail.

Missouri State Highway Patrolman Scott Rawson said the one-time event all began with a fire in the jail.

"On or about Jan. 19, a fire occurred at the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department," said Rawson in a probable cause affidavit on file with Stoddard County Division II court. "After the fire, two female inmates were released from their cell to assist in cleaning up."

After cleaning up the fire damage, the two female inmates -- who were listed as Amy Graves and Chelsea E. Stevens -- were returned to their cell. When Dowdy reported for work later that night, he allegedly released the two inmates again following the evening meal to clean up.

"While the inmates were out of the cell, Dowdy met Stevens in the laundry room and the two had sex," Rawson said.

Rawson said that after his department was contacted by the sheriff's department regarding the incident, he then contacted Stevens at her residence in Qulin, Mo., to conduct an interview, during which Stevens admitted that she and Dowdy "had consensual sex."

Dowdy was then contacted at the sheriff's department and he too admitted to having sex with Stevens, according to Rawson.

He has been charged with the Class D felony of having sexual contact with an inmate. He has previously plead not guilty to the charges.