Man, 4 sons charged with child sex abuse

LEXINGTON, Mo., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Five members of a family living in Missouri and Iowa are facing charges they committed sex crimes against children, police say.

Capt. Robert Powell of the Missouri Highway Patrol and Lafayette County, Mo., Sheriff Kerrick Alumbaugh said in a release the five men included a 77-year-old Independence, Mo., man and four younger men with the same surname, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported Wednesday.

The Star said the men are a father and his four sons between 47 and 53 years of age.

The five men jailed in Lexington, Mo., were identified as Burrell Edward Mohler Sr., 77, Independence; Burrell Edward Mohler Jr., 53, Independence; David Mohler, 52, Lamoni, Iowa; Jared Mohler, 48, Columbia, Mo.; and Roland Mohler, 47, Bates City, Mo.

They were charged with forcible rape of a child less than 12 years old, deviate sexual assault of a child less than 14 years old and other counts, the highway patrol statement indicated.

Authorities did not release any further information about the alleged victim or victims except to say an investigation was continuing.