5 days ago
Pulaski County man arrested in 2008 child sexual abuse case
PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. — A man from Crocker, Missouri, was arrested after being accused of sexually abusing a child sometime between 2008 and 2009 when he was in kindergarten.
The suspect, Daniel Gaines, was charged with first-degree statutory sodomy with a child who was less than 14 years old. His bond is set at $250,000, cash or surety only.
According to online court documents, in April 2013, charges were initially filed against Gaines in an investigation into the alleged child abuse, but the prosecutor dismissed the case around January 2015 after the venue was changed to Phelps County.
In November 2024, Gaines was being investigated for allegedly uploading and distributing child pornography on the messaging app KIK in June. This investigation revealed conversations Gaines had with another user where he discussed sexually assaulting a child.
One message read, 'At 18, I was babysitting for some people who had two 2 yo sons from prior relationships…they decided they weren't going to pay me the way they promised…so I took my payment out on the 2 yo boys.'
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The detective contacted Gaines at his residence on June 2, 2025. Gaines told the detective that the content in his KIK conversations was all fantasy and not based on truth. He claimed he only collected child pornography and took part in perverse conversations to report users on Telegram and KIK. However, court documents state that Gaines did not provide an example of him reporting said content.
The detective then contacted the victim, who detailed the sexual abuse. The victim said that sometime in 2008 or 2009, when he was five years old, Gaines sexually assaulted him on two separate occasions at a mobile home in Crocker.
The victim claimed he felt the system failed him since the initial case was dropped by the prosecuting attorney without just cause, court records state, and he wants Gaines to be held accountable.
The probable cause statement notes that Gaines is currently homeless and has been accused of sexually assaulting family members.
Gaines' next court appearance is a counsel status hearing scheduled for June 11.
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