Jury Finds Springfield Man Guilty of Child Sex Crimes
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Larry Thomas Robertson, 40, of Springfield, was found guilty of five felony counts of child sex crimes on March 25, 2026, in Greene County Circuit Court following a jury trial that began March 23, 2026. The jury deliberated for just under two hours before returning its verdict.
Robertson was convicted of two counts of Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree, two counts of Child Molestation in the First Degree, and one count of Rape in the First Degree. The charges arose from Robertson’s repeated sexual abuse of two of his minor step daughters during a period when the family lived in Springfield. The victims testified that the abuse began prior to their move to Springfield. One victim was between the ages of six to thirteen and the other victim was between the ages nine to fourteen during the defendant’s abuse. Evidence at trial also included testimony from a third unrelated step daughter who disclosed that Robertson had sexually abused her years earlier, during a prior relationship, when she was between the ages of 6 and 9. In child sex cases, the Missouri Constitution allows evidence of prior uncharged criminal acts for the purpose of corroborating the testimony of the charged victims and demonstrating the propensity of the defendant to commit the charged crimes.
Prior to trial, Robertson waived his right to jury sentencing. He also waived the sentencing enhancement phase of the trial before the jury began deliberations. During a hearing following the jury’s guilty verdict, Judge Jerry Harmison, who presided over the case, found that the evidence, including the testimony of the third victim, did not establish that Robertson qualified as a predatory sexual offender beyond a reasonable doubt. Judge Harmison scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. As an aggravated sex offender, Robertson faces a sentence of life imprisonment or less than ten years on the two statutory sodomy charges. Robertson was found by the jury to be an aggravated sexual offender under Missouri law based on his conduct involving a minor stepchild. He faces a sentence of ten to thirty years or life imprisonment on the two child molestation charges and sentence of life imprisonment or not less than five years on the statutory rape charge.
"In cases like this, it is not uncommon for victims to delay reporting abuse because the conduct began when they were so young that they had no frame of reference to recognize it as wrong. As children, they simply did not have the life experience to understand that what was happening to them was a crime. That is one of the reasons these cases are so important to prosecute — and why the courage it takes for victims to eventually come forward and tell their story should never be underestimated." said Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson.
The case was investigated by the Springfield Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Joe Wantuck and Elizabeth Fax.
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