A 20-year-old Springfield, Missouri resident is charged with rape and child endangerment after driving more than three hours to meet and have sex with a 14-year-old girl, according to court records filed Tuesday.
According to Lincoln County prosecutor Mike Wood, the accused, Joseph Thomas Dean Kunaschk, is also involved in two child molestation cases: one in Greene County and one in Dallas County.
“Parents had reported their child missing in the early morning hours to law enforcement. Apparently, the child was communicating on an App that’s called Y99. It’s some type of chat group,” said Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood.
Kunaschk informed investigators that he contacted the woman in an online chat room on Sunday, and she asked him to pick her up. He acknowledged having sex with the girl in his truck in a church parking lot. He also acknowledged taking her back to his Springfield apartment, where they had another sexual encounter.
According to court documents, records of Kunaschk’s digital interactions with the 14-year-old Lincoln County victim demonstrate that the suspect was well aware of the child’s age.
“I’ve never been with someone as young as you,” Kunaschki said to the victim, according to court records.
According to court papers, Kunaschk informed the victim that he had to leave his home in Lebanon, Missouri, at 8 p.m. to meet the victim at 11 p.m.
“Just to put it out, you can always come home with me if you want,” court records indicated.
A license-plate reader in Springfield captured footage of a Kunaschk-registered vehicle at 5 a.m. on Monday. According to court papers, a dark pickup truck matching Kunaschk’s F-150 was seen entering the church parking lot at 1:30 a.m.
Detectives called Kunaschk, and he admitted to having the 14-year-old girl with him in Dallas County. According to court papers, Kunaschk spoke with detectives after being read his rights. The woman reportedly told authorities that Kunaschk picked her up at her home and drove her to a church parking lot, where they had intercourse in Kunaschk’s F-150.
“A very scary situation for any parent. I just hope it serves as a message for people to remain vigilant,” said Wood.
“Watch their text messages. Watch their emails,” said Safety Consultant and Online Expert Mike Barbieri, adding, “I think to protect their children and teens from potential online predators parents may also want to invest in what’s called cloning technology so that they can keep track of their sons’ and daughters’ online behavior.”
Investigators stated that they had reasonable grounds to suspect Kunaschk poses a threat to the community, citing his admission to sleeping with another minor.
Kunaschk is being held without a bond.