CAPE JAILER ARRESTED IN SEX CASE

JACKSON -- A jailer with the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department has been arrested for sexual misconduct at his home with a juvenile, Sheriff John Jordan said.

A 16-year-old girl told investigators from the sheriff's department and prosecuting attorney's office that Prentice E. Rodgers, 32, had shown her sexually explicit photographs from the Internet Wednesday at his home in Jackson. She said Rodgers also exposed himself to her in an effort to sexually entice her.

Rodgers has been charged with a class B misdemeanor of sexual misconduct, a class A misdemeanor of furnishing pornography to a minor, and a class D felony of attempting to commit statutory rape, Jordan said.

An investigation into the girl's statements was conducted and completed within hours after the information was received, Jordan said. The sheriff said by his actions in this incident he hopes to show the public "he will keep his house in order," a press release states.

Rodgers resigned on Friday, shortly after being questioned by investigators.

Rodgers had been with the sheriff's department about four years. He had passed a standard law enforcement background check and was "exceptionally clean," Jordan said.

"Sometimes you put people in different situations and things change," the sheriff said.

Rodgers is being held in the Cape Girardeau County Jail under $30,000 bond. Typically, a class D felony only merits a $10,000 bond, Jordan said.

This shows that members of law enforcement are held to a higher standard, as they should be, he said.

"People in law enforcement live in glass houses," Jordan said.