Hickory County has an interim treasurer after the arrest and indictment of long-time treasurer Kenneth S. Ratliff, 51, of Hermitage on charges of distributing child pornography.
Jeanne Lindsey, former county clerk, was appointed deputy treasurer by the county commission at an emergency meeting Monday, Oct. 19.
Lindsey will serve as treasurer through the end of the year.
Hickory County Clerk Tamara Weidman confirmed that Ratliff’s name remains on the ballot despite federal charges and a petition filed by the County's prosecuting attorney seeking his removal from office.
Ratliff was unopposed in the August primary, but there are two certified write-in candidates - Anita Moss and Lindsey Pitts.
Case update
The Missouri State Supreme Court assigned Judge M. Brandon Baker to the 30th Circuit Court after Judge Chuck Replogle recused himself in the case against Ratliff.
Ratliff was arrested Thursday, Oct. 15 and charged with distributing child pornography, a Class C felony.
If convicted, Ratliff faces a sentence of 10 to 25 years in prison.
Tuesday, Oct. 20, Ratliff was ordered to be detained for the safety of members of the community.
Daniel B. Dysart, prosecuting attorney with the State of Missouri, has also filed a petition on behalf of the state to have Ratliff removed from office for a number of reasons.
1) Ratliff holds a position of trust and must strive to scrupulously abide by the law.
2) Ratliff has failed to personally devote his time to the performance of the duties of Hickory County treasurer.
3) Therefore he has forfeited his office.
Dysart further stated that the court should issue a writ of quo warranto, and after any necessary proceedings, make the preliminary writ permanent and oust Ratliff from office.
Specifically, the Missouri State Attorney General asserts that Ratliff has forfeited his office “by willfully or negligently violating his official duties, or by knowingly or willfully failing to perform official acts or duties that are his to perform.”
More specifically, he is charged with engaging in criminal conduct with a minor child, including such conduct at a time when he should have been carrying out his official duties. Further, the conduct resulted in his arrest and subsequent absence from office.
Background
Ratliff appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint signed by Chief United States Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr.
According to the complaint, Ratliff was in a group chat used for trading Child Sexual Abuse Material when he encountered undercover agents.
While chatting with the undercover agents, Ratliff sent a CSAM video depicting a prepubescent child.
It was noted that charges contained in the indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
