Several felony charges have been refiled against a Sedalia man who reportedly was in possession of illegal drugs and child pornography during a no-knock search of a residence almost three years ago in Pettis County.
According to a probable-cause statement, a drug-related search warrant was served at a residence in the 2200 block of 1st Street Terrace in Sedalia on September 8, 2015. John L. Hayes, who is now 39-years-old, was arrested for the alleged possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A 7-year-old child also was discovered to be living at the residence.
Another probable-cause statement says authorities reportedly found five videos and 27 images of child pornography on Hays’ cellphone after conducting a forensic scan.
Online court documents say Hays was originally charged with several felonies in two separate cases. He was charged with four counts of a Class B Felony for Possession of Child Pornography in the Second Degree- Possessing Over 20 Pictures or One Film; and three Class C Felonies for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Child Pornography and Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the First Degree. In September 2016, the state dismissed the charges due to them not being ready to proceed to a hearing or trial due to Hayes’ motion for a speedy trial.
Online court documents also say Hayes’ original charges were refiled by the state on Wednesday, September 5, 2018. Bond has been set at $10,000 cash or surety for the child porn case and $1,500 cash or surety for the drug-related case.
Hayes’ initial hearing for each case is pending at Pettis County Circuit Court.