Man detained on child-sex charges

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A Carter County man was arrested Tuesday on eight sex-related felonies stemming from alleged abuse of children.

Johnny L. Hardwick, 41, of Fremont, Missouri, was charged Tuesday with four counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, forcible rape, first-degree child molestation and two counts of incest by Carter County Prosecuting Attorney Ernie Richardson.

"The arrest was the result of a 2 1/2-month investigation by the Carter County Sheriff's Department into multiple allegations of sexual assaults against children," said Carter County Sheriff Rick Stephens.

It was during the investigation of an unrelated case the allegations came to light, Stephens said.

"During an informal victim's interview, an allegation stemming from between 2006 and 2007 came out regarding our suspect," Stephens said. "That spurred another investigation, and as we investigated the claims, we found multiple potential victims."

Hardwick is charged with sexually abusing three girls between 1999 and 2007, said Stephens, who indicated the girls were between the ages of 7 and 10 at the time of the alleged abuse. They now are in their late teens and early 20s.

"We believe there is a potential for more (victims) out there," Stephens said.

The allegations, he said, stem from "not only touching/fondling ... leading up to actual intercourse."

Stephens said one of Hardwick's alleged victims reported the abuse in 2007.

"There was an investigation done," he said. "I can't tell you why charges weren't filed then, other than they didn't have sufficient evidence at the time, but I wasn't here, so I don't know."

Pertinent address:

Fremont, Mo.