SCOTT CITY MAN CONVICTED OF EXTORTION

JACKSON, Mo. -- A Scott City, Mo., man was found guilty Tuesday of extorting money from a nephew.

Relatives of Ronald Keith Sturm, 38, testified during his jury trial that he had asked them for money to pay off an extortion attempt against his nephew, Robert Keesee.

The extortion involved a photograph showing Keesee, 38, having sex with a juvenile.

But a variety of stories about who had the photograph and how much money was wanted made relatives suspicious, assistant prosecutor Lora Cooper said.

In August 1999, Keesee had been photographed in his Scott City home engaging in sexual acts with a 16-year-old boy.

Seeking bribes

In testimony from Keesee's brother, Monty Keesee, Sturm had approached him that same month for help in paying a $20,000 bribe for the photograph. Sturm alleged that another man had the photograph, and he only wanted to help his nephew.

When Monty Keesee refused, he said Sturm returned to him the following day saying the bribe was now only $7,000. Again, Monty Keesee said no.

The next day Sturm came back with a figure of $5,000. This was also rejected, Monty Keesee told the court.

Sturm later took a photocopy of the photograph to Robert Keesee, who said he then sought out a loan from his brother. Monty Keesee gave him $3,500, Robert Keesee said.

At the same time, Sturm sought out a loan of $1,500 from Ricky Jackson, a friend in Scott City. Jackson told the jury that Sturm explained he needed the money to play "show and tell" to make a deal work, and the money would never leave his hands.

Robert Keesee told the court he traveled with Sturm to Cape Girardeau to cash his brother's check before stopping at a fast food restaurant on William Street. Sturm went into the restaurant and came out a few minutes later with the photograph, Robert Keesee said.

On their way back to Scott City, Robert Keesee said they pulled off to the side of the road and, using Sturm's cigarette lighter, burned the photo and ground the ashes into the roadside gravel.

Kim Adams, Sturm's niece, told the court that her uncle later said he had kept $500 of the extortion payoff for himself.

About two weeks after destroying the photograph, Robert Keesee was arrested after a parent of a boy talked to police. He later confessed to law enforcement officers of having sexual relations with two boys. Keesee was sentenced last April to two concurrent five-year sentences after pleading guilty to statutory sodomy.