Campbell found guilty of molestation; Man has a prior conviction for sexual abuse

A St. Francois County jury found an area man guilty of child molestation at the conclusion of a trial held this week.

On Thursday, the jury found Eugene Patrick Campbell, 51, of Bonne Terre, guilty of three counts of first-degree child molestation.

A formal sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place on June 17 at 8 a.m. Campbell is facing sentences of up to life in prison on each count.

This week’s trial was presided over by Circuit Judge Wendy Wexler Horn.

St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Gilliam and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Brown presented the case. Campbell was represented at trial by Public Defender Sarah Jackson and Assistant Public Defender Holly Kee.

The case was investigated by then-Detective Kenneth Wakefield with the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department.

“The St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office appreciates the dedication of the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department in their continued efforts to hold individuals who hurt children responsible,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement after the verdict.

Campbell was charged with the crimes in March 2019 following reported allegations of sexual contact with a child in 2011.

According to a probable cause statement in the case, between May and September 2011, Campbell touched a young female child’s private areas three separate times. The report states that the child was less than 10 years old at the time.

Campbell was interviewed by authorities regarding the allegations and admitted to the three instances of sexual contact, according to police.

Court records show Campbell has been charged with a sexual crime in the past. The man entered a guilty plea to first-degree sexual abuse in Jefferson County on April 2, 1990.

Eugene Campbell

Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com