Story Published:
Sep 26, 2007 at 1:14 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Sep 27, 2007 at 9:29 AM CDT
NEOSHO, Mo. -- A man from Nixa who is convicted of sexually misusing his adopted daughter will be in court on Thursday for a bond hearing.
Last week, a Newton County jury convicted Larry Savage of child abuse but acquitted him of sexual exploitation of a child.
Investigators said Savage used the Internet to promote the girl for sexual intercourse. They said he and the girl met a University of Kansas student at a motel
in Joplin in June 2005, where he encouraged the student to have sex with the girl and then had sex with her himself.
Investigators were told Savage videotaped the encounter but found no physical evidence, which led to the acquittal on the exploitation charge after the jury deliberated about two hours on Sept. 20.
Savage faces a 5- to 15-year prison sentence for child abuse. A judge could set a sentencing date when Savage is in court on Thursday.
Savage faces similar charges in three other counties -- charges that prosecutors filed in 2005 and 2006.
In Greene County, Savage is charged with second-degree statutory rape, incest, and use of a child in a sexual performance. A hearing on attorneys’ motions is scheduled for Nov. 29 but no trial is scheduled.
In Christian County, Savage faces charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, promoting a sexual performance by a child, and use of a child in a sexual performance, statutory rape and statutory sodomy for acts that investigators believe occurred in 2004. The charges are in three separate cases; one case was moved to Taney County. No trial is scheduled in any of the cases. A motions hearing on the two cases in Christian County is scheduled for Nov. 9.
In Webster County, Savage faces charges of child abuse, promoting a sexual performance by a child, and use of a child in a sexual performance. Those
charges are for events that investigators believe occurred in 2001.
A trial is scheduled for July 30.
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