Belton police officer placed on administrative leave following rape charge
A Belton police officer was placed on administrative leave after he was charged with rape in Pettis County Friday, following allegations he sexually assaulted a woman in the county in 2017 or 2018.
Collin K. Goodsell, 28, was arrested on Thursday following a sexual assault investigation conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, according to a press release from Sgt. Bradley Germann.
In December, MSHP’s division of drug and crime control was requested to investigate sexual assault allegations involving an employee at the Belton Police Department. Germann confirmed in an email to The Star Friday that the employee was Goodsell.
Investigators obtained probable cause to arrest Goodsell on Feb. 12 in connection with the incident, Germann said. He was arrested in Lee’s Summit and later transferred to the Pettis County Jail.
Pettis County court documents do not include a probable cause statement. A felony complaint and request for arrest warrant state the incident allegedly occurred between Jan. 1, 2017 and Jan. 1, 2018 in Pettis County.
On Friday, the Pettis County prosecuting attorney charged Goodsell with one count of first-degree rape, Germann said. The felony complaint alleges Goodsell also “displayed a deadly weapon in a threatening manner” during the incident.
Germann said Goodsell has worked in several law enforcement positions in both Cass and Livingston counties. The sergeant said he was unable to disclose or discuss where Goodsell had previously been employed.
In a statement posted on Facebook Friday, the City of Belton said the highway patrol had recently notified the city of “an alleged incident involving one of our officers that occurred prior to their employment” with the agency.
Goodsell was “immediately” placed on administrative leave when city officials learned of the investigation, the post said.
If convicted, Goodsell could face a mandatory sentence of at least 15 years in prison, according to the felony complaint. He would be required to serve at least 85% of that sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
A conviction could also require Goodsell to register as a sex offender on both the Missouri and federal sex offender registries, the complaint said.
Goodsell is being held in the Pettis County Jail without bond, Germann said. He was set to appear for an arraignment hearing in Pettis County court Friday. No further court dates are scheduled.
Anyone with information regarding the incident, including potential further accusations that may include Goodsell, is encouraged to contact Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Travis Goolsby at 816-22-0800.
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 4:10 PM.
