By COREY NOLES
Statesman Staff Writer
BLOOMFIELD, Mo.--An Advance man has been sentenced to prison for molesting a child under 14 years of age.
Daniel Keith Dye, 38 of Advance, was originally arrested in September 2012 for possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia. Following his arrest, the charges regarding the molestation case were filed.
On Wednesday in a Stoddard County courtroom, Dye pled guilty to the unclassified felony of statutory sodomy and was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison.
Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russell Oliver said that he is very pleased with the resolution to Dye's case.
"This office has made it clear that we take child sex cases very, very seriously," he said. "We will continue to do that. This number of years we were satisfied with primarily because it would prevent more trauma to this child."
Trial, Oliver said, was not in the best interest of the victim in this particular case.
"This keeps the child from having to come in and tell her story to 12 strangers, but still accomplished the need of getting this man off of the streets and away from the community," Oliver said. "I believe we accomplished both of these goals with this sentence."
On Sept. 11, 2012, the victim's mother, accompanied by the victim, visited the Bell City Police Department to tell officers of the alleged abuse.
The mother stated that her child had been touched inappropriately on multiple occasions by Dye.
The molestations are believed to have occurred in the bedroom of Dye at his home on Freeze St. in Advance.
As the officer questioned the victim, the child reportedly grasped the mother's leg and admitted to being scared. The victim stated that Dye had said that if it was ever told what had transpired, the victim "would be in big trouble."
When asked how long this had been going on, the victim stated "Since I was little," and put a hand parallel to the ground to indicate she was smaller at the time the abuse began.
The victim was able to describe Dye's bedroom where the abuse is alleged to have occurred.
The officer in the report notes that Dye was convicted in 1999 of endangering the welfare of a child after "openly admitting to having sexual intercourse with a juvenile."