On Monday January 4, 2021, officers responded to a residence on Lanton Road for a disturbance involving a female juvenile. Through investigation, officers discovered a 14 year old female juvenile had been having a sexual relationship with an adult male. The female juvenile told officers she and the adult male had sex approximately ten (10) times in a date range between November 2020 and as recently as two or three days prior to the report being filed with the Police Department.
The male, who had been arrested by the Howell County Sheriff’s Office on an unrelated matter, was identified to be 30 year old Ronald L. Becker, II. Becker was incarcerated at the West Plains City Jail at the time of the investigation.
Becker is currently a registered sex offender in Missouri. Becker was convicted of Statutory Rape in 2011 after having a sexual relationship with a 16 year old female juvenile. Becker was 21 at the time.
Becker is being held on 10 counts of Statutory Rape pending formal charges from the Howell County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
UPDATE: January 6, 2021 8:06 AM
Becker has been formally charged by the Howell County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for three (3) counts of Statutory Rape 2nd Degree. He was transferred to the custody of the Howell County Sheriff’s Office with a bond of $25,000 cash/corporate surety.
