SIKESTON TEEN FACES BOMB, SEX CHARGES

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston teen is charged with making a bomb in his home and having sexual relations on at least 11 occasions with a 9-year-old boy, police said.

Bobby Gene Ballard, 17, of Sikeston was caught at his home just after 11 p.m. Feb. 22 by police, who discovered him putting together a bomb, said police detective John Blakely in a probable-cause affidavit.

The explosive device, which was examined by an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, contained gun powder, pellets from two shogun shells, other unknown items and a 4-inch fuse. This was packaged in a white plastic container.

Ballard gave a written confession stating that he was making a bomb, the detective said.

While Ballard was giving his statement to police, he said "he had been doing some things that he was not proud of and needed some help," the detective said. The suspect said that since he turned 17 in October he had engaged in oral and anal sex with a 9-year-old boy, the detective said.

Ballard gave specific dates and times when he had sexual relations with the boy. He also told police that he had committed similar sexual acts on several other children. Investigations into other possible incidents by police and juvenile authorities are continuing.

The suspect had been investigated by police when he was a juvenile for "a very serious sex crime," the detective said.

"I believe the nature of these new charges makes him a threat to small children and the community," Blakely said.

Ballard was charged by the Scott County prosecutor's office with 11 counts of deviate sexual intercourse along with manufacturing an explosive device. Each charge of deviate sex is punishable by a range of 10 years to life in prison.

Ballard's bond for manufacturing a bomb was set at $25,000. His bond for charges of deviate sexual intercourse was set at $250,000.