Cape Girardeau man convicted of child sex offenses, jury recommends 215-year sentence

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) – A Cape Girardeau County jury has convicted a 38-year-old man of five felony sex offenses involving a child and recommended a total prison sentence of 215 years.

According to the Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Jeffrey Lynn Whitley, of Cape Girardeau, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree statutory rape and three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy.

Prosecutors said the sexual abuse occurred between Sept. 13, 2021, and March 13, 2024, when the victim was between 11 and 13 years old.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department investigated the allegations.

According to a probable cause statement filed in March 2024, the investigation began after the victim disclosed the abuse at school. During a forensic interview, the victim reported repeated sexual assaults.

Whitley was arrested March 14, 2024, following the investigation.

The prosecutor’s office said the jury returned guilty verdicts on all five counts following a trial held Nov. 29-30, 2026.

During the punishment phase, jurors unanimously recommended a combined sentence of 215 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Formal sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15 before Circuit Judge Julia M. Koester.