David Bracken, 39, of Herculaneum has been charged with felony statutory rape and sodomy for allegedly molesting a young girl between 2008 and 2012. In all, he faces six charges for alleged crimes against the girl, who is now 15 and lives in the Fenton area, said Capt. Ron Arnhart of the Sheriff’s Office.
Bracken was being held today (Feb. 29) without bail at the Jefferson County Jail, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported in a written statement.
Detectives went to Bracken’s home in the 900 block of Union Place on Feb. 24 with a search warrant related to suspicion of child pornography activities. The search occurred after the victim reported to someone that she had been sexually abused by Bracken since she was 12, court documents say. That person notified the Sheriff’s Office, prompting the search, Arnhart said.
Several of Bracken’s computers, external hard drives and memory devices were taken for forensic examination, the report said.
The investigation into child pornography is ongoing, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
At this time, authorities don’t believe there were other victims, the report said.
Bracken was charged Feb. 24 with one count of first-degree statutory rape with a person under 14 years old, two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, one count of second-degree statutory rape and two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, according to the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The charges vary depending on the age of the girl at the times the alleged incidents occurred, assistant prosecutor Catherine Crowley said.
First-degree charges were filed in connection with incidents that allegedly happened when the victim was younger than 14, and the second-degree charges are for incidents that reportedly took place when she was between 14 and 16, Crowley said.
The first-degree charges are unclassified felonies, and the others are class C felonies.
If convicted, Bracken, faces five years to 30 years to life in prison for each of the first-degree statutory rape and first-degree statutory sodomy charges, as well as one day in county jail to two to seven years in prison and/or a fine up to $5,000 for the second-degree statutory rape and second-degree sodomy charges.
--Kevin Carbery
