Audrain County man found guilty of 10 child sex crimes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Mexico, Missouri, man was found guilty of 10 child sex crimes on Wednesday, according to a press release from the Audrain County Prosecutor’s Office.

John Sidney Kelly Jr., 43, was charged in the case with first-degree rape, first-degree child molestation, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of second-degree statutory rape, fourth-degree child molestation, second-degree rape, statutory sodomy of a person younger than 14 years old and third-degree child molestation.

He will be sentenced on Monday, June 9. He faces the possibility two consecutive life sentences in prison. He is currently being held at the Audrain County Jail. The press release says that Kelly had sexually abused two children from 2012-19.

The release also says that the jury determined Kelly is a predatory sex offender, indicating that he had molested the victims on several occasions before it was reported.

“John Kelly, Jr.’s abuse of these survivors through a family that loved and trusted him caused great damage,” Prosecutor Jacob Shellabarger said in the release. “Kelly, Jr., took absolutely no responsibility for his crimes, repeatedly called the survivors liars, and showed no remorse in sexually abusing these girls, and used his position to abuse and harm them to keep them silent.”