A Portland man was found guilty of 14 felony offenses related to sex crimes against children following a two-day trial in Callaway County.
Callaway County Prosecutor Chris Wilson said the jury found William Chamness, 55, guilty of first-degree child molestation, four counts of first-degree statutory rape and nine counts of first-degree statutory sodomy against two victims occurring between 2011-16.
The same jury found Chamness not guilty of two other charges of child molestation and first-degree statutory sodomy.
Wilson said charges were filed against Chamness in 2017 when one of the two victims informed authorities about the abuse. The second victim corroborated the sexual abuse. Both victims reported the abuse began when they were about 8 years old and continued until they were 13. They said the abuse occurred in three different locations in Callaway County.
Chamness was accused of inappropriate touching, molestation and rape of two minors from July 2010 to May 2016, according to the probable cause statement. The events took place at residences in Portland and New Bloomfield.
When the charges were filed in March 2017, Chamness fled from Callaway County. Investigators worked with law enforcement agencies in several states to locate and apprehend him in Colorado.
Following the jury's verdict, Callaway County Judge Brouck Jacobs ordered that Chamness be held at the Callaway County Jail with no bond and set the case for post-trial motions and sentencing March 19.
Chamness faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison on each of the statutory rape and statutory sodomy charges and up to 15 years in prison for the child molestation charge.