Allegations of Child Molestation leads to arrest of Mountain Grove man

A Mountain Grove man has been arrested for alleged crimes against a child. According to the Highway Patrol,  61 year old John R. Reed, of Mountain Grove was arrested on Monday, June 3, 2024, for three counts of statutory sodomy following an investigation by members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control Troops D and G criminal investigations units.

In March 2024, investigators with the Troops D and G criminal investigations units began an investigation into child molestation reported to have first occurred approximately 25 years ago in Ozark County. The suspect, John R. Reed, was alleged to have sexually molested three victims in two different residences, both located in Ozark County. Investigators conducted multiple interviews which corroborated victims’ accounts of the incidents. On June 3, 2024, Reed was arrested and transported to the Ozark County Jail, where he was held pending the filing of formal charges. On June 4, 2024, the Ozark County Prosecuting Attorney formally charged Reed with three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy. Reed is currently being held in the Ozark County Jail, without bond.