Taneesha Wise, 35, appeared in St. Louis Circuit Court on charges alleging that she sexually abused three children at an apartment in the city's Columbus Square neighborhood. The alleged incidents date from December 2014 to November 2016. One victim said Wise made him sit in a closet when he was 4. Wise remains jailed without bond as the case proceeds.
Police identified three underage victims who had contact with Wise, according to FOX 2. Investigators allege the conduct occurred at an apartment on Dickson Street in Columbus Square between December 2014 and November 2016. The allegations were reported to police in May 2026, when one of the victims and his mother came forward, the station reported.
Police Accounts Describe Alleged Conduct at Different Ages
Police said one victim reported being made to watch Wise masturbate between the ages of 6 and 9 and said Wise touched their genitals. Another account alleged that Wise made a 4-year-old undress and sit in a closet, where police said she touched the child's genitals, according to the station's report.
The third victim, identified in the reporting as the person who brought the case to police, said the alleged abuse happened when they were between 5 and 7. Police said Wise had inappropriate sexual contact with that victim, the station reported.
What Research Says About Delayed Disclosure
A longitudinal study summarized by the National Institute of Justice describes childhood denial followed by disclosure in adulthood as “deferred disclosure.” That research finding offers context about when some disclosures may occur, but does not establish why a report was delayed or what happened in this case.
Charges Filed by the Circuit Attorney's Office
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office charged Wise with two counts of statutory sodomy involving people under 14, along with first-degree child molestation, two counts of sexual misconduct involving a child under 15, one count of armed criminal action and first-degree statutory rape involving a person under 14, the article notes.
Missouri's statutory sodomy law, cited under Section 566.062 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, addresses first-degree statutory sodomy and attempts to commit it. The state's child molestation statute, outlined in Section 566.067, concerns subjecting a person younger than 14 to sexual contact in an aggravated sexual offense, according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes.
Wise remains jailed without bond following her court appearance. Details of her attorney, any plea entered, or the next scheduled hearing were not available in the reporting, and the allegations against her remain unproven in court.
