Missouri school board member charged with statutory rape

NEOSHO, Mo. – A member of a southwestern Missouri school board is charged with two counts of second-degree statutory rape involving his interaction with a 16-year-old girl.

The Neosho Daily News reports that Diamond School Board member Johnny Lee Russow, 44, turned himself in Thursday to Newton County deputies.

He was charged last week.

Sheriff Ken Copeland says the charges relate to encounters with the teenager in January and February in Russow’s home in Diamond.

Copeland says the teenager’s father alerted his department to the alleged offenses.

Online court records do not show whether Russow has an attorney. Russow does not have a listed home telephone number.

Diamond is about 17 miles southeast of Joplin.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Missouri school board member charged with statutory rape."