A Marshall teenager accused of sex-related felonies involving a juvenile, who entered a plea of not guilty during his arraignment hearing on April 9, changed his plea to amended charges during a court proceeding on Monday, May 14.
According to a probable-cause statement, a juvenile female said 18-year-old Anthony Gerst performed sexual acts on her on several occasions, which began in late October 2017.
Online court documents say Gerst, who originally was charged with three counts of an Unclassified Felony for Statutory Sodomy or Attempted Sodomy and a Class C Felony for Third-Degree Child Molestation with a Child Less Than 14 years old, pleaded guilty to two counts of a Class C Felony for Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. The other charges were dismissed, as per a plea agreement.
The Missouri Board of Probation has been ordered to conduct an investigation and file a written report prior to the sentencing of Gerst, which is scheduled at 1:15 p.m. on Monday, June 25, at Saline County Circuit Court.