Cape Girardeau man arrested for alleged rape, disseminating private sexual images

The Cape Girardeau Police Department arrested a man Wednesday, Jan. 22, for alleged rape, who was also found allegedly to be disseminating private sexual images without consent.

Jayden Harris, 22, of Cape Girardeau was arrested after police responded to a hospital about a sexual assault where the victim told them it took place Jan. 14 in the 1400 block of North Henderson Avenue. According to a Cape Girardeau Police Department news release, the victim told police Harris forced his way into their residence and sexually assaulted her, and as she tried to fight him he began to strangle her.

The police arrested Harris on Wednesday. According to a probable-cause statement, the alleged victim received "several" text and Facebook messages as Harris was attempting to hang out with her and "obtain sexual favors". The probable cause states that when Harris found out the woman was home, he told her he was coming over and the victim told him not to.

Once Harris was inside her residence, the woman said Harris told her, "This is gonna happen, I don't want to hurt you", the probable-cause statement says.

According to a separate probable-cause statement filed a day before the one regarding the alleged sexual assault, Harris sent screenshots of images of a woman he was talking to after she decided she no longer wanted to meet up with him Sunday, Dec. 15.

Harris is being held without bond for the alleged sexual assault.