A man who has lived both in Platte County and Savannah, Mo. has been charged with molesting a minor child from the time she was six until she was 15 years old.
Nathan Hershley
Nathan Hershley, 42, faces two counts of statutory sodomy charged on Friday, Nov. 2. Hershley pleaded not guilty earlier this month and remains in custody at the Platte County Detention Center on $250,000 cash-only bond. A request for a reduced bond was denied. He will next appear in Platte County Circuit Court on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. He also faces two related felony charges in Andrew County filed Tuesday, Nov. 20.
Andrew County authorities first contacted Platte County in September regarding an investigation into Hershley’s activities, according to court documents. A family member of the victim came forward and told police she had been sexually abused by Hershley at least 20 times between the ages of six and 15 years. The family member found a letter from Hershley to the victim expressing his sexual desire for her.
During a later interview with police, the victim said Hershley started kissing her on the mouth when she was six, telling her “this will be our little secret.” The abuse escalated, involving inappropriate touching and oral sex. Hershley and the victim had lived in both Platte and Andrew counties during the years of abuse.
The victim said the abuse stopped because a family member caught Hershley lying behind her on the sofa and stroking her hair while she slept. When confronted, Hershley became offended and angry. While the abuse stopped, he became possessive and jealous of teenage boys.
A search of the victim’s phone turned up 591 pages of text messages between she and the suspect. Hershley would tell the girl he loved her and wanted to “rebuild their relationship.” In August, the victim stopped responding and text messages became verbally abusive. He sent her pictures of a loaded magazine, a handgun with a chambered round and then a picture of himself with the gun in his mouth, threatening to kill himself if she didn’t respond.