Honk News (Palmyra, MO) – A man from Palmyra was arrested on February 1 and charged with statutory sodomy involving a child under 12. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Marion County Circuit Court in Palmyra on March 25.
Elijah K. Lewis, 18, is currently in the Marion County Jail with a bond set at $100,000. An arrest warrant was issued on January 31, and he was taken into custody the following day. A bond appearance hearing took place on February 4.
Matthew Brown from St. Louis is acting as legal counsel for Lewis. The case is being overseen by Judge Jennifer Richardson.
Marion County Prosecuting Attorney Luke Bryant stated that if Brown is found guilty by a jury, he could face either life imprisonment or a minimum sentence of five years.
A statement from the Marion County Sheriff’s Department indicated that a detective was informed on January 9 about an alleged child molestation incident at Mission Hill Baptist Church, located at 44653 Business 61. A report indicated that a 7-year-old girl was taken to a secluded area of the church, where Lewis reportedly placed his hands down her pants.
A forensic interview with the victim took place on January 21. She shared the interview specifics about how Lewis made contact with her, then utilized anatomical dolls provided during the interview to demonstrate the events that occurred. She talked about Lewis applying lotion, mentioning the color of the lotion and the bottle it was in.
The victim reported in the interview that Lewis had touched her on four additional occasions, and that a sibling and a teacher had caught Lewis in the act.