Park Hills man gets 10 years for child molestation

FARMINGTON — A Park Hills man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he admitted to molesting a child. 

On Friday, Circuit Court Judge Sandy Martinez sentenced 19-year-old Robert J. Cummings to 10 years in prison for the Class B felony of first-degree child molestation.

Cummings’ case was scheduled for trial this month. He was originally charged with two counts of forcible sodomy.

According to court records, in December of 2007, a girl told her parents that Cummings touched her inappropriately. A boy then told police that Cummings also touched him and showed him and another boy a pornographic magazine. 

Cummings confessed to police. However, court proceedings were put on hold when he was found to be “incompetent” and was committed to the Department of Mental Health. After undergoing six months of treatment, he was found competent to stand trial. 

In other cases, Ronald Burnia, 20, of Desloge, was sentenced to eight years in prison for possession of meth and possession of meth with intent to distribute.

He was arrested in January of 2009 after the Mineral Area Drug Task Force found a meth lab in his Park Hills residence.

Cory J. McMahan, 23, of Farmington, was sentenced to seven years in prison for violating the probation he received for tampering with a motor vehicle. The judge will release him on five years of supervised probation if he successfully completes a 120-day drug treatment program. 

Nathan C. Reese, 29, of Bismarck, was sentenced to seven years in prison for violating the probation he received for possession of meth.

Jason Scott, 28, of Poplar Bluff, was sentenced to seven years in prison for two counts of possession of a chemical with intent to make meth.

Caleb L. Marler, 21, of Park Hills, was placed on five years of supervised probation and ordered to serve 60 days in the county jail for possession of a controlled substance. 

Joshua Liesman, 25, of Farmington, was placed on five years of supervised probation and ordered to serve 30 days in the county jail for two counts of stealing.

Placed on five years of supervised probation were Chasity D. Young, 33, of Farmington, for forgery and passing a bad check; Kenneth Ray, 31, of Bonne Terre, for passing a bad check; Renee Melvin, 18, of Park Hills, for possession of a controlled substance; Ernest D. McKee, 32, of Cadet, for failure to pay child support; and John S. Haywood, 32, of De Soto, for two counts of passing a bad check.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.