Kansas City man charged with sexual abuse involving a child under the age of 12
Prosecutors charged a 40-year-old Kansas City man with child sexual abuse involving a victim under the age of 12, according to court documents.
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office charged Charles E. Cole Jr. over the weekend with first-degree statutory sodomy - deviate sexual intercourse and second-degree child molestation.
Cole, who is being held in the Jackson County jail on a $150,000 bond, made his initial appearance on the charges earlier this week, where a bond review hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.
According to court documents, Kansas City police officers responded to a reported sex crime at about 9:20 p.m. on June 11. Officers spoke with the foster mother of the victim, who said she called police after the child came home crying about 10 minutes earlier. The child said Cole had inappropriately touched them.
The foster mother told police that the child told her they had been playing hide-and-seek with kids from the neighborhood when Cole allegedly suggested the child hide inside his red 2008 Dodge Charger.
The foster mother told police she immediately went outside and confronted Cole, who allegedly told her the child was lying, according to court documents. Cole then left in his car.
The child was taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital.
Detectives took Cole into custody last Friday, and during questioning, he allegedly denied touching the child.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM.
