Child molestation case nets prison time

A Jefferson City man has been sentenced to three years in prison for pleading guilty to fourth-degree child molestation in relation to an incident that occurred in April 2017 in the Capital City.

Jimmie Payne, 32, pleaded guilty Wednesday during a hearing before Cole County Presiding Judge Pat Joyce.

Payne fondled a victim under age 17, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement. The victim and Payne said no sexual intercourse occurred.

Court records show Payne is a persistent offender, convicted of unlawful use of a weapon in St. Louis in December 2003 and for theft and stealing in St. Louis County in 2004.