BLOOMFIELD -- A Bernie man will make his first appearance in court Thursday after he recently was charged with raping and sodomizing a teenager, who told authorities the relationship was consensual.
Garrette Dewayne Mason, 32, is to appear before Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield for arraignment on the Class D felonies of second-degree statutory rape and second-degree statutory sodomy (two counts).
This comes after Mason was charged Thursday by Assistant Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney J. Aaron Mitchell, and the arrest warrant was served on Friday. Mason is being held in the Stoddard County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond.
The complaint filed with the court accuses Mason of having sexual intercourse and deviant sexual intercourse with a female, who was less than 17 years old, on Wednesday.
The charges stem from an investigation, which began on Wednesday by the Bernie Police Department.
According to Bernie Sgt. Eddie Mays' probable-cause statement, the department received an anonymous call, which reported a female juvenile was "being held hostage at a residence" in the 500 block of Fleming Street.
During the ensuing investigation, Mays said, officers learned Mason "had been involved in an intimate relationship" with a teenager, beginning June 9, 2016, and continuing to the current date.
The teenager reported she and Mason allegedly had sexual intercourse and deviant sexual intercourse "on a regular basis during this time," Mays said.
"(She) stated that she and Mr. Mason had talked about what would happen to Mr. Mason if their relationship was to get out because of his age, but decided to continue their relationship and take the risk of being caught," Mays said.
Mason was contacted, and Bernie Chief Justin Allen reportedly told him of his rights.
Mason, Mays said, told officers he understood his rights, and when asked whether he was willing to speak to "us about his relationship with juvenile ... he invoked his right to have an attorney present."
At about 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Mays said, an employee with the Missouri Children's Division asked to speak with Mason.
The request, he said, was granted and the employee, Rebeka Adams, met with Mason. Also present were Mays and Allen.
During the conversation between Adams and Mason, Mays said, "Adams asked Mr. Mason if he had been having sexual intercourse with juvenile ... Mr. Mason stated: 'Yes, but that's all I'm going to say about that.'"