Jackson man pleads guilty to statutory sodomy

A Jackson man accused of sexually molesting an 11-year-old girl was sentenced to 15 years in state prison today after pleading guilty to a single felony count, Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle announced. Ronald R. Davis, 38, had originally been charged with seven counts of statutory sodomy, but pleaded guilty to a single count in a plea bargain that Swingle said had the consent of the victim's family. The molestation took place between Jan. 1 and May 20, 2008. Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis took the plea and imposed the 15-year sentence. Under Missouri law, Townsend must serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for release.