Lacefield charged with three counts of statutory sodomy

On December 14, 2022 a warrant was issued for Clifford Lacefield with a bond amount of $500,000. According to the probable cause statement completed by Detective Joe Taylor, Lacefield had previously been accused of sexual assault in 2018, however new evidence that was submitted to the detective in November of 2022 ultimately lead to the warrant.

In 2018, Officer Raith met with the Lacefield’s ex-spouse in which a child had confided in them that Lacefield had made the child perform oral sex and watch porn. At the time of the incident(s) the child was only eight years old.

Officer Raith met with Lacefield on August 16, 2018 at the Marshfield Police Department. At the time Lacefield lived in the home with one other adult (who was his spouse at the time) and three children. Lacefield stated that it was possible the child could have seen his private parts or caught him watching “American Pie” however denied any misconduct.

In September of 2022, Detective Taylor was notified that the minor had recently begun to talk more about the incident that had occurred.

In November 2022, the child-now 14 years old, completed an interview with the Child Advocacy Center where they shared that they were 7 years old when he first started touching them.

The victim stated that Lacefield told them it was a secret and reported that this happened while Lacefield's spouse was at work and the siblings were locked in the bedrooms.

Detective Taylor met with Lacefield on December 5, 2022 and asked him to undergo a polygraph test to which he volunteered to do.

The test was completed on December 13, 2022 at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop D Headquarters. According to the probable cause statement Lacefield denied allegations of sexual contact with the victim however later stated that he “sometimes watched ‘soft porn’.

Lacefield eventually admitted to forcing the child to participate in oral sex. 

According to Lacefield this happened more than once and lied previously.

Lacefield has a prior conviction of endangering the welfare of a child via guilty plea from October 31, 2016.

Lacefield was arrested on December 19, 2022 and is being charged with three counts of: Felony of statutory sodomy in the first degree and one count of class D felony of sexual misconduct involving a child by indecent exposure. A hearing is scheduled with Judge Chuck Replogle on January 10, 2022