More charges filed against Dexter teen accused of sex crimes

Editor's note: The felony charges in the story below were eventually dropped to three misdemeanor charges. Hedrick was sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to pay compensation to the victims. He was ordered to enroll in a sex offender outpatient program, but was not required to register as a sex offender.

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Six new charges have been filed against 17-year-old Zachariah Hedrick of Dexter, Mo., who was initially charged in October with forcible sodomy and felonious restraint after allegedly restraining a girl for sex acts, according to Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn.

Hedrick is scheduled to appear in Stoddard County Court on Feb. 26 to answer the additional charges, which include attempted forcible rape, felonious restraint, attempted first-degree statutory rape, first-degree child molestation, sexual misconduct or attempt involving a child under 15 and sexual abuse.

The charges were filed following an investigation by Dexter police detective Cory Mills, along with Stoddard County juvenile officers, involving allegations from a second female juvenile who recently provided local authorities with details involving an incident she says occurred in February 2006. According to the female, Hedrick forced her into an unlit room following an activity at a local youth event, restrained her and attempted to perform sexual acts.