ST. LOUIS COUNTY – A St. Louis County man has been charged on several counts, including rape and kidnapping, after an online meet-up.
According to the North County Police Cooperative probable cause statement, Sedaka D. Betts, 49, was charged Thursday for sex crimes that occurred on or between Aug. 9 and 10.
According to the police, Betts knowingly had sexual intercourse with the victim after confining her for a substantial period of time without consent.
Betts was also charged with unlawfully owning and using a 9mm semi-automatic firearm in a threatening manner. The Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court convicted Betts on Jul. 6 for second-degree assault for unlawful possession of the same firearm.
The probable cause statement explains that Betts, on or between Aug. 9 and 10, also stole cameras worth more than $150.
Betts has been charged with one count of rape or attempted rape, sodomy or attempted sodomy, first-degree kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and first-degree burglary and stealing.
Betts is in custody at the St. Louis County Justice Center and is held on a $500,000 cash-only bond without the option of posting 10% of the bond. He is scheduled for a bond reduction hearing on Aug. 23 and a preliminary hearing on Sept. 12.
