A Sedalia man charged with sexually assaulting his girlfriend in 2023 is scheduled to go on trial this October in Lafayette County.

25-year-old Craig Dalton Coward will face a jury trial Oct. 21 on charges of first-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child. According to court documents, Coward is accused of confronting his girlfriend in late November 2023 at their home in Slater over comments on a social media post she made. Saline County Sheriff’s deputies who responded to the initial disturbance call advised Coward of the state’s 12-hour rule, requiring him to leave and have no contact with the victim. The victim reported to authorities the next day that Coward had returned, and alleged that he forced himself onto her without her consent. The victim also told deputies that she later spotted one of her children holding a handgun that Coward allegedly left on a coffee table.

Coward was initially charged shortly after his arrest in November 2023, but had his proceedings delayed by state statute because his attorney is a legislator in the Missouri General Assembly. An appeal by Saline County Prosecutor Tim Thompson, citing a violation of the victim’s rights, was dismissed by the Missouri Court of Appeals. Charges were refiled last June after the previous case was transferred to Ray County. Coward posted a $150,000 surety bond shortly after pleading not guilty to the charges. The current case was moved to Lafayette County from Saline County last November.