More charges filed against Jackson man accused of kidnapping children

OZARK, Mo. -- Authorities in Christian County have added more charges against a Jackson man accused of kidnapping his children from a domestic violence shelter in southwest Missouri.

The original charges against Scott A. Pikey of Jackson -- two counts of kidnapping and one count of violating a protection order -- were dismissed and refiled along with new charges, Christian County assistant prosecuting attorney Chris Lebeck said.

In addition to the refiled original charges prosecutors added two charges of child abduction and one charge of trespassing. Lebeck said these are alternative charges, meaning that if a jury doesn't find evidence to convict on original counts they might still be able to convict on other charges.

On Monday Pikey appeared before a Christian County judge to hear the new charges. He was released pending his next court date on the conditions that he have no unsupervised contact with his children and that he be confined at his mother's home in Bell City, Mo.

His preliminary hearing on the charges is set for Aug. 23.

Authorities allege Pikey followed another car onto the shelter's property in Ozark and took his children while his former spouse was in the shower. The woman allegedly saw him leave and called in his license plate number to the police.

Pertinent address:

Ozark, MO