Two Adults Charged with Rape & Sodomy of Infant

Two people have been arrested for allegedly raping and sodomizing a 13-month old girl. Prosecutors say the alleged sexual abuse started when the baby was just five months old.

In addition to statutory rape and statutory sodomy charges, the suspects have also been charged with promoting child pornography for taking pictures of the sexual acts.

Federal agents began investigating one of the suspects, 46-year-old Kenneth Kyle, when they discovered he was sharing child pornography over the Internet. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators were able to search Kyle's home, where they found communications he had with the other suspect, Tessa Van Vlerah, whom he is believed to have met online.

According to investigators, Kyle made several trips to St. Louis, Missouri to visit Van Vlerah, during which the two would go to hotels to engage in sex acts with the baby.

Both Van Vlerah and Kyle remain in police custody. The baby is in state custody. The relationship between Van Vlerah and the baby was not made clear.

Charged With a Sex Crime? Contact a Criminal Lawyer for Help!

As you can imagine, sodomizing and raping an infant warrants first-degree felony charges punishable by long prison sentences, steep fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. If you have been accused of statutory rape or statutory sodomy, it's imperative that you speak with an experienced sex crimes defense lawyer right away. A skilled criminal attorney can ensure your case is aggressively defended, and that all possible steps are taken in an effort to resolve your case successfully.

If you need help finding a criminal defense lawyer who has experience handling felony sex crimes, click here to search our nationwide directory of criminal lawyers.