Ironton man charged with sexual assault in Farmington

Karsten Brian Abbott, 24, of Ironton, was charged on Dec. with two counts of statutory sodomy and three counts of child molestation from incidents that took place between Dec. 6 and Dec. 15, 2025, in Farmington.

Law enforcement investigators attended an interview on Dec. 23, 2025, at the Children’s Advocacy Center, where the victim described detailed sexual encounters with the defendant that took place on three separate dates in December.

According to court documents, Abbott was taken into custody on Dec. 28, 2025 with a $250,000 cash or surety bond which was set with special conditions, including that the defendant: is ordered to appear at all court dates; shall sign up for “track this case”; shall not possess/use alcohol and/or controlled substances unless prescribed; pre-trial monitoring; shall provide all prescriptions to bond supervisor; shall submit to blood, breath or urine testing upon request from the courts, bond supervisor, or law enforcement; shall provide a sample for testing that is not diluted or tampered with in any way; shall have a GPS monitor installed at his own expense before, release from custody, exclusion zones: victim work and home address; shall have no contact with victim or witnesses in this case; and shall not possess a firearm, ammunition, or dangerous weapon.

Bond was posted the same day and the defendant was released. Criminal Justice Services filed a court compliance confirmation report in Farmington, and the defendant will be wearing a GPS monitoring device as a condition of his release.

Attorney Christopher Hartmann represents the defendant. St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Blake Dudley and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Sarah Jackson represent the State. Judge Joseph Murray has been assigned to preside.

An initial appearance before Judge Murray is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2026.

This is a developing story that will be updated as information becomes available.

Lisa Brotherton-Barnes is the editor for the Daily Journal and Farmington Press. She can be reached at Lbarnes@dailyjournalonline.com