An Aurora man is now a convicted child molester after his trial in Ripley County.
After deliberating for five hours on Thursday, a jury found 55-year-old Carl Gleason guilty on all five charges including two counts of Child Molesting (class A felony).
He was also found guilty of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor (class B felony), Sexual Misconduct with a Minor (class C felony) and Vicarious Sexual Gratification (class C felony).
Due to Gleason’s age and the crimes he is convicted of, he could possibly face the rest of his life in prison, Ripley County Prosecutor Ric Hertel indicated.
“This type of trial takes a tremendous toll on those 2 victims who testified. One of them broke down completely after she testified. They are never gonna escape what happened to them,” Hertel said. “The hope is that they can move forward.”
Hertel noted that trial sheds light on a horrible crime that occurs in the county.
“We want to encourage other victims to come forward. Maybe this will further that,” Hertel added.
Charges were filed against Gleason last summer following allegations that he molested a child in the Versailles area between 2004 and 2008.
