By Derek Spellman
dspellman@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — A former mayor of Collins will stand trial on three charges of enticing a child, based on testimony Monday by a Diamond police detective who conducts Internet sting operations targeting alleged sexual predators.
Detective Jim Murray of the Diamond Police Department was the lone witness to testify in the Associate Division of Newton County Circuit Court at the preliminary hearing for Allen D. Kauffman, 62, of Collins, who also resigned his post as a church pastor ahead of being bound over for trial on three counts of child enticement.
He originally faced a fourth count of child enticement, but Newton County prosecutors dropped that count Monday because of an error in the date for one set of the alleged comments.
Kauffman, clad in a tie and sports jacket, looked on while Murray read excerpts from Internet chat-room correspondence between the two. Kauffman went under the name “Duke,” while Murray posed as a 13-year-old girl in a chat room in which romance was the general topic, Murray said.
“Duke made the initial contact in that room,” he testified.
Murray recounted how Kauffman allegedly showed interest in fondling the 13-year-old decoy’s genitals; attempted to solicit nude photographs of the decoy; and encouraged the decoy to engage in sexual activity with a friend while being recorded via a webcam.
Cross-examination by Kauffman’s attorney, Mel Gilbert, of Buffalo, keyed on the dates of certain alleged chat-room exchanges and questions about whether Murray had found any past criminal convictions for Kauffman.
No felonies were found, Murray replied.
Murray also said under cross-examination that he accompanied St. Clair County authorities when they arrested Kauffman in January.
“He (Kauffman) said something like, ‘I know what this is about,’” Murray said of Kauffman’s response when authorities arrived.
Kauffman was arrested and charged after a series of alleged chat-room exchanges with Murray’s decoy between November and December. Murray was training a detective from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department on Nov. 15 when he reportedly encountered Kauffman in the chat room.
Kauffman resigned as the mayor of Collins not long after charges were filed in Newton County. He also resigned as pastor of the Temple Lot Church in Collins.
Diamond police Chief Keith Brumfield said Murray’s Internet sting operations in the past five years have netted 20 arrests — 11 of which have resulted in convictions. The other cases are pending.
Next up
Allen Kauffman’s trial-division arraignment is set for 9:30 a.m. April 14 in Newton County Circuit Court.
Local News
<img src="http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/extra.gif" border=0> Former mayor to stand trial <font color="#ff0000">Allen D. Kauffman probable-cause affidavit </font>
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