A Perryville man on probation after receiving a suspended sentence for felony counts of child molestation and possession of child pornography is out on bond after being arrested for probation violations.
An arrest warrant for Terry Carroll, 75, of Perryville, was issued by Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court acting presiding Judge Scott Lipke and served on June 18 on charges that he violated the terms of his probation — specifically the supervision strategy and special conditions.
Carroll — who now lists his address as Jackson — was later released on a $50,000 cash bond and a probation violation hearing was scheduled for Monday, June 24. According to information from the Cape Girardeau County Circuit Clerk’s office, another hearing was scheduled for Sept. 24.
Carroll entered a guilty plea to charges of child molestation and possession of child pornography
on Dec. 28 in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court on Dec. 28, 2023, as part of an agreement with special prosecutor Angel Woodruff, who dropped five additional charges, including five other felony counts ranging from three counts of statutory sodomy in the second degree to sexual misconduct involving a child and sexual exploitation of a minor. If found guilty on all charges, Carroll could have faced up to 40 years in prison.
As a result of the plea agreement, Carroll was sentenced by Judge Benjamin Lewis to seven years in prison on the molestation charge and four years on the child pornography charge, with both terms suspended. Instead, Carroll was placed on five years of supervised probation on each count and was required to register as a sex offender.
Carroll was originally charged on Aug. 8, 2021, with statutory sodomy/attempted deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 14 years old, sexual exploitation of a minor, child molestation/third degree and possession of child pornography.
According to the probable cause statement filed by the Perryville Police Department in the case, Carroll was alleged to have knowingly had sexual contact with the victim, installed cameras in the juvenile’s bedroom and linked the video to his phone and produced video of the juvenile victim.
The probable cause statement also indicated that Carroll’s wife initially “found out about the relationship going on between the suspect and victim by noticing his phone viewing camera system as he had fallen asleep with his phone in his hand.”
Carroll was interviewed Aug. 6 and had the charges explained to him.
“As the first allegation was [discussed] the suspect said loudly, ‘That didn’t happen and I want a lawyer, ‘cause that didn’t happen,’” police said in the statement.
The interview was then abruptly ended, but according to police statements, Carroll then made a spontaneous statement as he was being escorted back to his cell.
“We all make mistakes, and I made a mistake,” Carroll reportedly said.
After Carroll was formally charged, Perry County prosecutor Caitlin Pistorio and Perry County Associate Circuit Court Judge Craig Brewer recused themselves from the case.
Appearing before Judge Frank Miller in the 32nd Circuit Court in Perry County Aug. 10, 2021, Carroll entered a plea of not guilty and was released on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
