ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A former Eureka High School custodian was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty earlier this month to molesting a child with Down Syndrome.
Robert Smith pleaded guilty on April 9 to fourth-degree child molestation. He was originally charged in February 2022 with one count of first-degree sexual abuse after police said he molested the student over their clothing in a special needs classroom on Feb. 11.
The victim is nonverbal, but witnesses saw the abuse, according to court documents.
The victim's mother claimed at Smith's sentencing hearing that Smith tried to harass and intimidate her family into silence, according to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
The mother said Smith pleaded guilty not out of remorse, but "because all these cruel tactics and tricks did not work as he had hoped - and they did not silence or intimidate us."
Judge Bruce Hilton originally ordered Smith to be held without bond when he was first charged, but then reversed course and allowed him to post his family’s property as a $250,000 bond.
Thursday's hearing was attended by dozens of people in support of the victim, including members of the Down Syndrome Association.
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