70-year-old man charged with sexually abusing child in Independence

A 70-year-old man has been accused of sexually abusing a child he was watching at his home in Independence, police and prosecutors said in statements on Tuesday.

Samuel D. Schuler was charged with two counts of statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy and one count of sexual misconduct involving a child under 12, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release. The charges stem from incidents that allegedly happened between June and November.

According to court records, the mother of a 9-year-old girl told police Schuler was watching her daughter at his apartment. The girl told an interviewer at the Child Protection Center that Schuler gave her “pot” and a drink, took photos of her naked, tried to get her to perform a sexual act and exposed himself to her.

In an interview with police on Monday, Schuler said he knew the girl and has known her family for several years. He denied touching her in a sexual manner and denied taking nude photos of her. Court records said he also denied giving the girl marijuana and alcohol.

Prosecutors filed charges against Schuler on Tuesday, and his bond was set at $250,000.

A court date has not been set.

In a statement on Facebook, the Independence Police Department said its conducting “ongoing investigations” regarding other possible victims connected to Schuler. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 816-836-3600.