Maryville inmate faces Randolph County molestation charges

Jul. 30--A former Moberly and Columbia resident and current inmate at the Maryville Treatment Center, a minimum security Missouri Department of Corrections prison, was arrested Tuesday after three child sex charges were filed against him in late April.

Steven Cravens, 37, was charged April 30 with two counts of second-degree child molestation involving children under 12 years old and one count of second-degree sexual abuse for alleged actions that took place throughout late 2017 in Cravens' Moberly residence at the time.

The investigation into the molestation allegations started in May 2019 after two minors spoke to forensic interviewers at the Rainbow House Children's' Advocacy Center in Columbia. The two children detailed several instances of inappropriate touching from Cravens while at his Moberly residence, according to court documents. A family member of the minors told Moberly police that, while she had not been informed of any inappropriate touching, Cravens had requested that the children lay down with him on several occasions.

The family member told police about instances in which Cravens would "black out" after taking methamphetamine and grab her inappropriately, the documents state. The children also corroborated Cravens' use of drugs to Rainbow House interviewers.

In July 2019, a Moberly investigator met with Cravens while he was incarcerated at Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson. Cravens was sentenced to three years in prison in February 2019 for violating a five-year probation after pleading guilty to a Cole County drug possession charge in 2018.

Throughout his interview with Moberly police, Cravens denied the molestation allegations, however when the investigator reviewed the charges with Cravens near the end of the interview, he said, "I don't remember,", the documents state. When asked if any inappropriate acts happen between him and children, Cravens reportedly said, "No, nothing that I remember."

As of Wednesday afternoon, Cravens was still in custody at the Randolph County Jail with a $50,000 bond. No court dates had been set by Wednesday afternoon. Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Luntsford had not yet responded to questions regarding Cravens incarceration while his case is pending in Randolph County.

ecliburn@moberlymonitor.com

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