Preston W. Childs - Repeat Sex Offender

A Columbia man with a felony conviction of sexual abuse of a minor was arrested Friday after allegedly taking pictures on a cell phone of sexual acts he had with a 16-year-old girl.

A caretaker of the girl allegedly found the photographs Friday on the cell phone of Preston W. Childs and contacted Columbia police, Sgt. Chris Kelley said. The caretaker turned the phone over to investigators.

Childs, 30, of 3110 Alpine Drive, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree statutory sodomy, sexual exploitation of a minor and failure to register a change of address as a sex offender. He remained last night at the Boone County Jail, with bond set at $75,000.

Kelley said the cell phone images were taken during the past two weeks. He described Childs and the victim as acquaintances. It is unknown whether Childs distributed the images.

Childs pleaded guilty in 2003 in Howell County to second-degree attempted statutory rape and was sentenced to five years in prison, according to online court records. He is listed as a registered sex offender using a Worley Street address with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte