Howell County, MO. – A former Howell County Deputy has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old child. 57-year-old Rob Pilkington was found guilty of five counts of statutory sodomy, three counts of statutory rape, and one count of using a child in a sexual performance.
Pilkington worked as a school resource officer at South Fork Elementary School at the time of the allegations. Still, school officials and court documents state that the incident happened outside the workday and did not involve a South Fork student. According to the original probable cause affidavit, Pilkington was arrested on November 24, 2021, after allegations of him having a sexual affair with a 13-year-old child. During an interview with Pilkington, he admitted to the Missouri State Highway Patrol that he had sexual contact with the victim.
In a preliminary hearing on January 19, 2022, he pleaded not guilty to the accusations. A year later, starting on November 24, 2023, his case was granted a change of venue and held in Butler County. Pilkington was in a three-day jury trial facing 13 charges including, six counts of statutory sodomy, four counts of first-degree statutory rape, two counts of third-degree child molestation, and one count of use of a child in a sexual performance.
Pilkington was found guilty of 9 charges out of the 14 he was originally facing. His sentencing trial was scheduled to be held on November 7, 2024.
