In recent weeks, I have read more heinous probable cause statements than I would like.

In three separate incidents, four local residents have been charged with sex-related crimes, including attempted sodomy, rape, kidnapping and child molestation.

Sadly, this is nothing new in Barry County, though it is coincidental to have so many come to light at the same time. Here’s a quick breakdown of the recent stories:

• A Washburn man in his 70s has three separate cases for alleged abuse, child molestation, patronizing a sexual performance by a child and sodomy. The alleged crimes have occurred over the last 40 or more years — right in our own backyard.

• A Purdy man and Verona woman allegedly restrained and held a victim against their will while they performed sexual acts on the victim.

• An Exeter man is accused of attempting to meet an underage female in Bolivar — a fictitious social media persona created by one of the man’s relatives by marriage — to engage in sexual acts.

Ick. I go through a handful of probable cause statements on a weekly basis, and none are more difficult than ones involving sex crimes.

I’ve written countless stories about sex crimes since arriving in 2014. A few have been taken to the federal level, including two in the last few years involving school employees.

In Barry County, there are 119 registered sex offenders, and they live in every corner. According to U.S. Census data, Missouri does not rank in the top 10 states with the most registered sex offenders, but it does rank No. 6 in states with the most registered sex offenders per 100,000 residents with 427. Arkansas has the second-highest rate at 640. For comparison, Massachusetts is the lowest in the nation with 79.

There are many reasons why some states have more offenders than others, including laws for offenses that require registration, duration an individual must remain on the registry and the severity of enforcement. States with stricter laws generally have higher numbers, while other states may allow for easier removal from the registry or alternative sentencing. More resources put toward enforcement also generally means greater compliance and higher numbers.

Nationally, the total number of registered sex offenders is at about 795,000, up by about 43,000 since 2019 and from 230 per 100,000 people to 240.

Regarding sexual assault, Missouri is barely outside the top 10 per capita at 49 per 100,000 residents. The same can be said about sex abuse cases per 100,000 children. In those two categories, Arkansas is second and first, respectively.

Given these figures and the seemingly consistent offenses in Barry County, what can we do?

Numerous vigilante efforts have been undertaken in recent years, individuals who, essentially as a hobby, create fakes online profiles and attempt to lure predators into “meeting” underage personas, only to confront them on camera and blast their intentions across the internet.

While the work to expose dangerous individuals is commendable, the danger in confronting those individuals is also elevated.

The best way to fight against these kinds of crimes is to be vigilant, but not a vigilante. If goes back to the old phrase, “If you see something, say something.”

Though I have covered many cases of Barry County residents distributing child pornography or soliciting minors, the cases against the Washburn man have been the most disturbing. I was at first surprised to see he was changed for alleged assaults in the 1980s, then this week, another case was filed for alleged crimes in the mid-2000s.

There also appears to be multiple other victims who were molested or propositioned but did not come forward. It’s incredible to think that in such a small town an offender could go under the radar for so long — if you see something, say something.

While those alleged crimes did not involve technology, that is more the way sex offenders are going these days. Anyone with children who have access to the internet — especially completely unguided and limitless — should really use caution. Online predators are everywhere, and sting operations from the TV show “To Catch a Predator” to Facebook pages based in counties adjacent to ours clearly show they are willing to travel.

If you are a parent with a child who has a smartphone, tablet or laptop, I highly encourage you to watch the documentary “Childhood 2.0” on Youtube to learn more about what’s happening and how you can prevent it from happening to your family.

I have said before in columns about this topic, it is up to us as parents and as a community to protect our children from those who would do harm. Again, if you see something, say something.

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a twotime ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat. com.