JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI (October 5, 2017) – Following a three-day jury trial, a Cole County jury has found Bobby Dean Bishop guilty of statutory rape in the first degree and statutory sodomy in the first degree. The jury deliberated for approximately seven (7) hours. Judge Daniel Green presided over the case.
Bishop was charged in November 2015. The charges stem from the victim’s disclosure that Bishop put his penis in her vagina and bottom. A witness told law enforcement that Bishop had her examine the victim’s genital for signs of sexual assault. The defendant later admitted that it was “probable” that he had the witness examine the victim.
For each charge, Bishop could be sentenced to a minimum of ten years and up to life in prison. His sentencing is set for November 29, 2017.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Meghan E. Woolery and Tristin M. Estep tried the case for the State. The attorneys point to the hard work of law enforcement, the dedication of the child advocacy professionals involved, and the strength of the victim as the reasons why the jury was able to reach a just verdict.
