Former Joplin church youth leader sentenced to 15 years for statutory rape

(Note: This post has been updated to add a statement from Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney Theresa Kenney.)

A Jasper man pleaded guilty today in Jasper County Circuit Court to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl.

John Vincent Estes, 31, who was described after his initial arrest in 2022 as a "youth leader at a Joplin church," was sentenced to 15 years by Judge Dean Dankelson following a plea agreement reached between Estes and the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office.

It was the second go round for Estes, who was found guilty by a Jasper County jury in 2024 and sentenced to 40 years by Dankelson.

The decision to move forward with the plea agreement was provided in a news release issued this afternoon by the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney Theresa Kenney.

The State agreed to a plea agreement in this case at the request of the victim’s family to protect the victim from having to relive this traumatic experience again and to avoid the uncertainty of another trial. 

“Although we have agreed to a reduced sentence, this time the defendant has admitted his guilt. The victim will not have to endure another trial, and there will be no appeal. Plea agreements are not easy and are never entered into lightly, but I consider the well-being of the victim first and foremost.” 

The Missouri Southern District Court of Appeals agreed with Estes' contention that he should have been allowed to present the sexual history of the 13-year-old girl into evidence, which would have added to the trauma of the experience for the victim had a new trial been held. 

Normally, that type of evidence is not allowed, but this case offered an exception, the appellate court opinion said, because the jury had a right to hear evidence that might have offered a reason for the alleged victim to lie.

Dankelson did not allow the evidence during Estes' trial, ruling that it fell under the Rape Shield Law because the girl's sexual history had nothing to do with the circumstances of the rape.

Estes was initially arrested following a Jasper Police Department investigation.

The allegations was detailed in the probable cause statement:

Information was given that a sexual assault and sexual abuse occurred on 11/23/2021 and 11/24/2021 at (a location) in Jasper, Missouri. The suspect was identified as John V. Estes, the victim being a juvenile female.

It was disclosed by (the girl) during a forensic interview that while at a friend's house (in) Jasper, Missouri, (she) woke up to Estes rubbing her back while she was lying on a mattress in the living room. Estes then took (the girl) to the garage and had sexual intercourse with her.

On 12-1-2021, Estes admitted to giving both (the girl) and her friend a back massage. Estes also stated he laid in between the girls on the mattresses in the living room for about an hour.

Estes refused to give a sample of his saliva for DNA comparison.

On the Jasper Police Department Facebook page, Jasper Police Chief Chad Karr indicated that not only did Estes claim to be a youth leader at a church, but that the Carthage Police Department arrested him for child molestation six years ago.

"This was a predator type incident where through investigation it was shown that the suspect used text messaging and other means to lure and attempt to lure the juvenile to his residence. Estes also said he is a youth leader on the student ministries team at a large church in Joplin, but was previously at the Carthage congregation of the same church."