A Slater Police Officer who was suspended and charged with a sex-related felony involving a juvenile early last year is due in a Saline County courtroom this week.
According to a probable-cause statement, on January 3, 2017, a criminal investigator with the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control received an e-mail in reference to a special investigation being conducted involving Slater Police Officer, 29-year-old Benjamin Adam Thomas.
During the investigation, witnesses provided statements that reportedly confirmed that they saw Thomas and a juvenile female engage in flirtatious activities. One witness reportedly stated she overheard the juvenile female talk about having sexual intercourse with Thomas.
During an interview with Thomas, he reportedly told the investigator the female spent the night at his residence, and he had received inappropriate photos of her.
According to online court documents, Thomas is facing a charge of a Class C Felony for Statutory Sodomy in the Second Degree.
Thomas reportedly posted bond in May and pleaded not guilty to the charge at a hearing in June. His next hearing is set for 1:15 p.m. on Monday, January 8, at Saline County Circuit Court in Marshall. A jury trial in the matter is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 28.