KC attorney joins NW Mo. teen sexual assault case

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A prominent Kansas City defense attorney has been hired to represent a northwest Missouri man at the center of a teen sexual assault case that has gained worldwide attention because of the way it was handled.

J.R. Hobbs confirmed Thursday that he will assist the Maryville native who was 17 in January 2012 when a 14-year-old girl claimed he plied her with alcohol and sexually assaulted her.

Daisy Coleman says justice was not served when Nodaway County prosecutor Robert Rice dismissed felony charges against the boy and a second 17-year-old accused of recording the incident on his cellphone.

Jackson County prosecuting attorney Jean Peters Baker was appointed Monday as special prosecutor in the case and will decide whether evidence supports refiling of charges.