West Plains, MO. – A Mountain View man was arrested on Saturday for child molestation. Gage Tinnin, age 19, is charged with two counts of statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy – deviate sexual intercourse – person less than 12 years of age and one count of 2nd-degree child molestation with a child less than 12 years of age.
According to the probable cause statement, the Howell County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call on County Road 3150 in the Mountain View area for a child abuse report. A young girl had told family members that Tinnin had pulled her pants down, touched her private area, and made her touch his penis. Tinnin was taken into custody at this time and interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office.
While Tinnin’s statement contradicted what was reported to the child’s family, he is reported to have lied in an early portion of the interview.
Tinnin is being held in the Howell County Jail on a $50,000 bond. He has pled not guilty to the charges before Howell County Judge Robert Ray. Tinnin’s attorney has made a motion to raise the security level of the case. A bond review hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 17, 2023.
