Man charged with raping, burning developmentally disabled woman

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A Marble Hill man has been charged with injuring and sexually assaulting a developmentally disabled woman.

Barbara Grebing, owner of J&J Assisted Living, who took the woman to a doctor's appointment March 16, told Bollinger County sheriff's deputy Michael Henson the woman had an injury on her left wrist, according to a probable-cause statement filed by detective Sgt. Della Moore of the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department.

When asked about it, the woman said Joshua Bailey, another resident of the facility, had burned her with his cigarette "for fun" on March 14, according to the statement.

Grebing asked the woman whether Bailey had hurt her in any other way, and she said he had sexual intercourse with her but had not burned her anywhere else, according to the statement.

The woman repeated the accusation to Henson, who then arrested Bailey on assault charges related to the burns, Moore wrote.

During an interview March 18, Grebing told a sheriff's deputy the alleged victim is severely developmentally disabled and is not legally able to grant consent to sexual intercourse, Moore wrote.

Grebing said she believed Bailey burned the woman to intimidate her into being compliant, Moore wrote.

During a forensic interview March 18 at Beacon Health Center, the woman said Bailey had burned her with several cigarettes and asked her to go to a shed on the property and have sex, which she said she did, according to the affidavit.

Bailey had been arrested on third-degree assault charges in connection with the burns but was released March 19 on his own recognizance, online court records show.

J&J Assisted Living, where he had been staying voluntarily, stated he no longer could live at the facility, according to a probable-cause statement Henson filed in connection with the assault charges.

On Sunday, Bailey called the sheriff's department, requesting to be interrogated, Moore wrote. When a deputy arrived at Peaceful Acres, where Bailey had moved, Bailey said he wanted to be "arrested and interrogated" because he'd been doing his own investigation and did not have sex with the alleged victim -- only "lewd behaviors occurred," Moore wrote.

Moore took a four-page statement Bailey had written. In his statement, Bailey said he knew the woman did not have the "legal right to express herself" and was aware of her mental status. He also wrote Grebing had "warned me about sex there but I am dumb, did not listen," according to Moore's statement.

Henson later tried to interview Bailey, who denied burning or having sex with the alleged victim, Moore wrote.

Since that time, Moore wrote, Bailey has called the sheriff's office making threats. He also called to say someone should come get him because he had burned somebody and didn't know why he did it. He said he "burned the fat, ugly bitch, and I don't know why," Moore wrote.

Bailey was arrested Monday on the rape charges. He faces charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse and third-degree assault. His bond has been set at $30,000 cash only.

kwebster@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

202 High St., Marble Hill, MO

104 Wesbecher Ln, Marble Hill, MO 63764

Highway 51 and Bollinger County Road 834, Marble Hill, MO