Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that his office has secured the maximum possible sentence for Robert Lee Sims Jr. of Madison, Missouri, for sexually abusing and exploiting a minor over several years. Sims Jr. now faces three consecutive life sentences, plus an additional 44 years, to be served in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
“I am pleased that the Court has handed down the maximum possible sentence in this case,” said Attorney General Bailey. “I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children. As your Attorney General, I will work diligently to send sexual predators to prison—and keep them there.”
Sims Jr. was convicted on March 17, 2023, by a Ralls County jury on multiple charges. These include two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, second-degree statutory rape, second-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree kidnapping, sexual exploitation of a minor, and forcible sodomy. The abuse began when the victim was just 13 years old and continued for five years.
The case was initially overseen by former prosecutor Talley M. Smith. Following Smith’s promotion to Associate Circuit Judge, the Attorney General’s Office was appointed to assist Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Nicole Volkert with the prosecution. Assistant Attorneys General Paige K. Wheeler and Miranda L. Loesch tried the case, receiving assistance from current Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Nicole D. Volkert.
