ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis jury found a man guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl at Compton Hill Reservoir Park in 2021.
Jurors found Clarence E. Battle, 58, of St. Louis, guilty of statutory rape and statutory sodomy on Wednesday, according to a press release. The jury found him not guilty of a second count of statutory sodomy.
Prosecutors said Battle raped the teen on March 10, 2021, in the park at South Grand Boulevard near Interstate 44, according to the release.
Police said in court documents that the girl had sneaked out of her home at about 2 a.m. to meet a friend in the park.
Battle, a stranger to the girl, approached her and threatened to shoot her if she refused sex with him, according to charging documents. Battle then removed her clothes and raped her.
After Battle left, the girl's friend found her upset and crying at the park, according to charging documents. They called the police and went to a hospital for a sexual assault exam.
Evidence at the trial included Battle's DNA from the victim and surveillance video showing Battle at the park that morning, according to the release.
Battle did not testify.
Battle will be sentenced on Jan. 12 by Circuit Judge Timothy Boyer.
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