Joplin man charged with three counts of statutory sodomy

A $100,000 bond has been set for a Joplin man who was charged by the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office Friday with three counts of statutory sodomy.

The charges against Charles Robert Barber Jr. (DOB 1965)  stem from crimes that allegedly took place between October 2024 and September 2025, according to the probable cause statement.

The Joplin Police Department received a report of sexual abuse involving a juvenile female well under the age of 13. A forensic interview was conducted at the Children's Center of Southwest Missouri.

During that interview, the statement said, Barber used both his hand and a vibrator on the child. The child told an adult who confronted Barber "who confessed to having been touching the juvenile inappropriately
and stated it had been going on for far too long."

The case was investigated by the Joplin Police Department.