Teenager charged with molesting 11-year-old girl

A Jackson teenager has been charged with molesting an 11-year-old female acquaintance, police reported Thursday.

Casey Blessing, 17, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of inappropriate sexual contact with the girl, according to a news release from the Jackson Police Department.

The molestation occurred while Blessing was visiting the girl and appears to have been a one-time occurrence, Det. Megan Pennycook said.

It came to light when one of the girl's parents reported it to police, Pennycook said.

The Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney's office charged Blessing with first-degree child molestation, a felony, the news release stated.

Blessing was in Jackson police custody Thursday, with bond set at $1,500, the release stated. If he meets bond, he'll be placed on house arrest with a monitoring device, according to online court records. Blessing didn't have a lawyer as of Thursday, according to the records.

Online records show a court date is set for July 29.

Pertinent address:

100 Court St., Jackson, MO