East Prairie man facing molestation charges

Friday, January 20, 2017

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A Mississippi County man was arrested following a sexual abuse investigation by the Mississippi County Sheriff's office.

According to Mississippi County Sheriff Cory Hutcheson, the investigation conducted by Chief Deputy Branden Caid stemmed from a previously reported but unrelated sexual abuse allegation.

During the follow-up investigation, Caid developed probable cause to believe Billy Ray Willis had subjected a child of less than 14 years of age to sexual contact, and had engaged in deviate sexual intercourse with that child.

On Wednesday evening, Hutcheson and Captain Barry Morgan located Willis, placed him under arrest and then transported him to the Mississippi County Detention Center.

Willis, 62, of Bertrand, Mo., is charged with three counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree, an unclassified felony punishable upon conviction by up to a life sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections; as well as child molestation in the first degree, a class B felony, and four counts of incest, a class D felony.

Willis faces an additional charge of possession of a controlled substance; that charge stems from the discovery of several Xanax in has pocket at the time of his arrest.

As of press time, Willis remains behind bars with bond set at $500,000. He is set to be arraigned in front of Judge Rob Barker at 9:15 a.m. Jan. 25.

Hutcheson thanked the 33rd Circuit Juvenile Office, the Missouri Children's Division and the Beacon Health Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., for their assistance with the investigation as well as the Bertrand Police Department for their help locating Willis.

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