St. Joseph Man Charged in Abduction of 12-Year-Old

A 26-year-old man was formally charged yesterday in Boone County Court with multiple child sex crimes in Boone County.

John Austin Harvey was arrested over the weekend after a 12-year-old girls was reported missing on July 9th. The child allegedly communicated via social media with friends as to her location and a photograph of the man she was with and an approximate address. She was found with Harvey in Columbia on July 11th.

When authorities found the girl, they also found four videos on her phone, which they said showed Harvey raping the child. In a post-miranda interview, Harvey admitted to engaging in intercourse with the child.

Harvey is now charged with Statutory Rape and Statutory Sodomy and is being held in the Boone County jail without bond.