Grain Valley cop accused of raping child outside school ‘no longer employed’ by agency

Saying its police officers are held to the “highest standards of ethics and integrity,” Grain Valley on Wednesday announced that a cop faced with serious felony charges, including statutory rape of a child under 17 years old, was “no longer employed” by the department.

Earlier Wednesday, Jackson County prosecutors announced nine felony counts brought against August P. Gildehaus, the police officer, who has been under investigation since March and had previously been put on administrative leave.

In a statement Wednesday evening, which does not identify Gildehaus by name, the city said Grain Valley’s police officers are “committed to the oaths of office” for law enforcement and that “any criminal activity” involving sworn personnel is taken seriously. Officers are also expected not to “discredit the public trust put in the agency.”

“We recognize the alleged crime is sensitive in nature and acknowledge the pain this can bring to individual families as well as the community as a whole,” the statement says. “As we embark on the future, we encourage the community to bring forth concerns as we enhance professionalism at the Grain Valley Police Department.”

The city said decisions concerning Gildehaus’s employment were made in line with the Police Officers Bill of Rights, a state law passed in 2021 that opponents contend shields police disciplinary actions from public scrutiny.

The half-page statement issued Wednesday evening by the city does not make clear the terms of Gildehaus’s separation from the department, namely whether he was terminated or resigned, for example.

Gildehaus was charged with one count of first-degree sodomy or attempted sodomy, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, four counts of second-degree statutory sodomy and three counts of second-degree statutory rape, according to charging documents shared by the Jackson County Prosecutors Office.

On March 6, the Missouri Highway Patrol was contacted by Grain Valley Police Chief Ed Turner to investigate criminal allegations brought against the officer.

The case was launched in response to a missing person report filed by parents whose child went missing after dark. The child later told them of sneaking out to meet men met through chat messaging platforms.

Gildehaus allegedly used an alias to talk to the minor over the chat platform Discord. Investigators found sexually explicit messages and a pornographic video during their review.

Gildehaus allegedly met the minor for the purpose of sex while knowing the victim was too young to consent, according to prosecutors. Encounters allegedly occurred in school parking lots, including the one outside Grain Valley South Middle School.

The child identified him through a picture shared on the police department’s social media, according to court documents. Other intimate knowledge shared with detectives included a distinctive tattoo and a description of Gildehaus’s personal vehicle.

The child is identified in court documents as “Victim 1.”

A search warrant filed in Jackson County this week sought data from the messaging platform Discord. Investigators sought messages sent and received dating back to August 2022, the month authorities allege they met, through an account they linked to Gildehaus.

During a police interview on April 7, Gildehaus allegedly admitted to allegations forwarded by detectives, including knowledge that “Victim 1 was under the age of 17” and engagements over social media “that were sexual in nature.” He also allegedly admitted to “deviate sexual intercourse” while parked outside Grain Valley South Middle.

A defense attorney for Gildehaus declined to comment on the case.

A warrant for the officer’s arrest was issued Tuesday. By Wednesday, he had posted the required $20,000 to stay out of Jackson County jail while the case is pending.

A judge ordered Gildehaus to surrender any firearms and remain on GPS monitoring. He is also barred from speaking to the child or her family, or communicating with anyone under the age of 17.

Gildehaus is scheduled to be arraigned April 20.