Police arrest babysitter on sex-related charges

A 45-year-old Sikeston man was arrested Thursday on 16 counts of first-degree statutory of having deviate sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 14, one count of first-degree child molestation and one count of possession of child pornography.

Jack Pruitt, of 809 Greer St., is currently held in the Scott County Jail in lieu of a total of $55,000 bail. Investigators believe he molested the 5-year-old child during an overnight stay at his home, in which Pruitt acted as a family friend in offering to baby-sit, said Sikeston Department of Public Safety officials.

After the incident was reported, detectives arrested Pruitt and served a search warrant on his home, where sexually explicit photos were found inside, Juden said. The investigation is ongoing.