West Plains, MO. – A West Plains man has been charged with crimes for having a child with an underage girl last year.
David Plyushchev, age 22, has been charged with 2nd-degree statutory rape and was arrested on Dec. 29, 2023. His bond was initially set at $50,000 but has since been reduced to $5,000 cash or surety.
The investigation into Plyushchev began on July 8, 2023, after a traffic stop by the Missouri State Highway Patrol found the suspect and a pregnant 16-year-old female. During the stop, it was learned the child was 8 months pregnant at the time and had recently had a birthday. Plyushchev denied being the father at this time.
According to the probable cause statement, MSHP began investigating Plyushchev and found social media accounts that contained the suspect and ultrasound pictures of an unborn baby. Troopers then interviewed the family of the girl, who stated they believed the suspect to be the father. Plyushchev continued to deny being the father of the child but, allegedly told troopers he had been dating the girl since she was 14 and he was 20.
A search warrant was obtained to collect DNA from the suspect and, after the baby was born in September, the baby to determine paternity. Results from PTC Laboratories returned in December determined that Plyushchev was the father with a probability of 99.99999%
