A 52-year-old Washington, Missouri man is being held without bond in the Franklin County Jail after being charged with first-degree child molestation, first-degree statutory rape or attempted statutory rape, and three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, all involving a person younger than 14. George D. Geissler was charged in Washington, Missouri, in a case that court documents say involves two victims and allegations stretching back more than a decade.
According to court documents cited by KRCG, the alleged abuse occurred across four separate periods: March 2009 to April 2012, September 2012 to June 2014, September 2015 to September 2016, and December 2019 to December 2020. Geissler was being held in the Franklin County Jail without bond.
Why Charges Can Still Be Filed Over Decade-Old Allegations
Missouri Revised Statutes § 556.036 concerns criminal statutes of limitation, according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes. The case includes allegations dating back to 2009.
The statutory rape charge Geissler faces and the three statutory sodomy counts involve a person younger than 14.
Molestation Charge Carries Class A Felony Exposure
The first-degree child molestation charge is classified as a Class A felony when aggravated circumstances are present, according to Rose Legal Services. Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 566.067, that charge carries a punishment of 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment, and probation or parole is barred entirely if the victim was under 12 at the time. Class A felonies represent the most severe non-capital crime classification under Missouri law.
A conviction for first-degree child molestation carries lifetime sex-offender registration. Missouri's sex-offender registration rules include a Tier III classification, according to KesslerWilliams, a classification described as carrying no standard statutory path for removal from the registry.
No-Bond Order Reflects Constitutional Danger Standard
The decision to hold Geissler without bond rests on a specific constitutional provision. Article I, Section 32 of the Missouri Constitution authorizes judges to deny bail when a defendant poses a danger to a crime victim, the community, or any person, as outlined by FindLaw. That provision balances Missouri's general right to pretrial release against explicit exceptions for public safety and victim protection.
The case against Geissler involves allegations in Washington, Missouri.
Part of a Wider Pattern in Franklin County
The article also mentions other child sexual abuse matters in Franklin County. A separate report discusses allegations involving Union-based Niños de Mexico. A separate case resulted in a conviction in Franklin County.
Court documents indicate the case against Geissler involves two victims, though the specific circumstances of how the allegations surfaced after such long gaps have not been detailed. It remains unclear whether additional victims exist, and no preliminary-hearing venue is identified.
