Man charged with seeking sex with a minor

Editor's note: The middle name of the suspect was added to the story to clarify his identity.

A 51-year-old man was arrested Thursday afternoon at a Cape Girardeau city park in connection with a joint investigation by Cape Girardeau police and the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children task force, said Cape Girardeau spokesman Jason Selzer.

Larry Eugene Windeknecht, a registered sex offender, had been allegedly sending harassing text messages to a girl under the age of 17, Selzer said. Investigators posing as the victim arranged to meet Windeknecht at Capaha Park around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Selzer said. The understanding was that the meeting would involve sexual contact, Selzer said.

As of Thursday evening, no charges had been filed against Windeknecht, but he was taken into custody and police planned to seek criminal charges against him, Selzer said.