Grain Valley police officer charged for sex acts with a juvenile

(Updated 4/12/23 at 10:20am with City of Grain Valley statement. Headline clarified, removing "former" from the description of the officer as originally indicated in the Jackson County Prosecutor office's release. Per the City of Grain Valley, the officer is on paid administrative leave as required by the Police Officer Bill of Rights.)

     In an April 12th press release, the Jackson County Prosecutor's office announced that a Grain Valley police officer currently on paid administrative leave faces multiple felony charges after an investigation by the Missouri Highway Patrol found the officer had engaged in sex acts with a juvenile in Grain Valley.
     August P. Gildehaus, dob: 2/17/1996, faces nine felony charges: Sodomy or Attempted Sodomy 1st Degree, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, four counts of Statutory Sodomy 2nd Degree, and three counts of Statutory Rape 2nd Degree.*
     According to court records, on March 6, 2023, the Grain Valley Police Chief asked the Missouri Highway Patrol to investigate the allegations that a Grain Valley police officer had engaged in sex acts in 2022 and early 2023 with a juvenile. The day before, Grain Valley police officers were dispatched on a report of a juvenile (under the age of 17) who was missing. The missing teen returned home and informed parents of sexual activity with adult men. The victim identified one of the men as a police officer. When police detectives showed the victim the Grain Valley Police Department Facebook page, the victim identified the defendant. The Victim also identified during a forensic interview other identifying details of the defendant. Detectives reviewed the victim's diary and social media for evidence of the sexual activity of the defendant with the juvenile victim.
     Reached for comment, the City of Grain Valley provided the following statement:
     "The Grain Valley Police Department holds our officers and civilian staff to the highest standards of ethics and integrity. We expect that the actions of our staff in their professional and personal lives do not discredit the public trust put in the agency. Our department was made aware of allegations involving a department member and we turned the investigation over to a separate and independent agency, the Missouri State Highway Patrol. We are thankful for their assistance in conducting a full and impartial investigation into the matter. We take any criminal activity seriously and therefore cooperated fully in the investigation. There are rules and processes in place through the Police Officers Bill of Rights that we have an obligation to follow to determine the status of an employee. The officer charged with the offenses has been placed on paid administrative leave. We are committed to the oaths of office for law enforcement officers as well as the standards the citizens of Grian Valley expect from our department. 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. As we embark on the future, we encourage the community to bring forth concerns as we enhance professionalism at the Grain Valley Police Department. Any further inquiries regarding this specific investigation should be directed to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office."
     The investigation continues and additional reporting will be posted as it becomes available. 

     To view the charging documents, visit AGildehaus_redacted (jacksoncountyprosecutor.com).