In June, a Platte County jury found Lemasters, 55, guilty on four counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of children enticement, leading to Hull’s ruling of six 30-year sentences to run consecutive to one another.
“As a result of his horrible crimes, this defendant will die in prison,” Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said. “That is just and appropriate in light of his awful abuse over several years against two very young girls who considered him a father figure.”
The guilty verdict and Hull’s subsequent sentencing was a culmination of two years of stop-and-start court proceedings marked by Lemasters’ original attorney withdrawing from the case.
It all began more than two years ago Feb. 6, 2011, when, according to court documents, the Platte County Sheriff’s Department received information that Lemasters had repeatedly touched two girls inappropriately. Three days later, investigators served search warrants at Lemasters’ home and business. Several items matching descriptions given by the victims were recovered. A later search of a computer owned by Lemasters revealed a clip of child pornography taken of one of the victims. Lemasters was arrested then and has been incarcerated at the Platte County Jail ever since.