More charges filed against Dexter teen in rape case

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — A Dexter teenager was charged Thursday with six sexual-related felonies, including a child pornography charge for allegedly recording sexually explicit conduct involving a 13-year-old girl on his cellular telephone. The new charges, along with others previously filed, mean he now is facing 14 felonies.

Zachariah A. Hedrick, 17, of the 16100 block of Country Lane was charged with the unclassified felonies of first-degree statutory rape and first-degree statutory sodomy; the Class B felonies of first-degree child molestation, sexual exploitation of a minor and second-degree promoting child pornography; and the Class D felony of sexual misconduct, involving a child by indecent exposure, by Stoddard County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Rance Butler.

Although Butler filed the charges Thursday afternoon, no warrant had yet been issued for Hedrick's arrest.

Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield recused himself from the case, which has been sent to Presiding Circuit Judge Stephen Sharp for assignment. The assigned judge is expected to issue the warrant and set Hedrick's bond.

At the time Hedrick allegedly committed the offenses between Oct. 1, 2007, and December 2007 and in March 2008, he was a juvenile.

Stoddard County juvenile authorities reportedly sought to have Hedrick certified and tried as an adult.

A hearing was held earlier before Associate Circuit Judge John Spielman in Kennett to consider a motion filed by juvenile authorities to dismiss and allow prosecution under general law.

In his order, Spielman cited eight reasons, which included the seriousness of the alleged offenses and Hedrick's age, as to why Hedrick was "not a proper subject to be dealt with under the provisions of the juvenile code."

After being certified, Hedrick initially was charged in January with the unclassified felonies of attempted forcible rape and attempted first-degree statutory rape, the Class B felony of first-degree child molestation, the Class C felonies of sexual abuse and felonious restraint and the Class D felony of sexual misconduct involving a child.

Those charges reportedly stem an incident, which allegedly occurred on a Wednesday in February 2006 at a local church and involved a then 13-year-old girl.

Hedrick already was charged with the Class B felony of forcible sodomy and the Class C felony of felonious restraint. Those charges were filed in connection with an alleged Oct. 4 incident at a Dexter business.

All the charges against Hedrick stem from investigations by the Dexter Police Department.

In his probable cause affidavit, Detective Cory Mills said, Hedrick's third alleged victim, "Jane Doe," was 13 in May 2007.

Hedrick recorded sexual acts between himself and the victim on a cell phone camera.

Hedrick, who is free on bond at this time, is to appear at 9 a.m. April 20 before Spielman for a preliminary hearing on the charges stemming from the alleged Oct. 4 incident and arraignment on the charges stemming from the suspected incident at First Baptist Church.