UNIONVILLE, MO. --
On Thursday, the Kirksville
Regional Computer Crimes Unit was notified of an investigation in Unionville,
Mo. involving inappropriate messages between a juvenile female and an adult
male. Witnesses reported seeing text messages exchanged between the two
subjects. The adult male was identified as Unionville Police Officer David
Banks.
The juvenile female was
identified by Unionville Police and the KRCCU. It was reported that Banks
“urged” the 14-year-old female to send nude pictures and also sent her a nude
picture.
Banks was terminated from his
employment with the Unionville Police Department and he left town shortly
after.
A Putnam County arrest warrant
was issued for Banks for Sexual Misconduct Involving a Child. He was located at
a residence in Stewartsville, Mo. in DeKalb County.
A DeKalb County search warrant
was issued for the residence and it was executed shortly after midnight on
Friday. Banks was found at the residence and placed under arrest. His cell
phone was seized as evidence.
Banks admitted to sending and
receiving pornographic images to the juvenile female that he knew was only 14
years old.
David Banks is currently being
held on a $10,000 cash only bond. Other charges are pending and the
investigation is continuing.
Anyone with information in
reference to the investigation is urged to call Kirksville Regional Computer
Crimes Unit at (660)785-6945.
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s
Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol
and the Kirksville Regional Computer Crimes Unit all contributed to the
investigation.