HollyMatkinWashington, MO – A 48-year-old parolee confessed that he raped an 8-year-old girl, fed her methamphetamine, and forced her to smoke marijuana, police said on Wednesday.
Brett Pendleton, 48, has been charged with sodomy and endangering the welfare of a child, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The incident occurred at an American Inn hotel on Jan. 1, Washington Police Department (WPD) Detective Betsey Schulze told KTVI.
According to WPD Detective Sergeant Steve Sitzes, the child was Pendleton’s relative, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The girl’s mother grew concerned after her daughter quit replying to her text messages, so she went to find her, Sgt. Sitzes explained.
The woman located Pendleton’s vehicle outside of the hotel, and went to his room.
Once inside, the woman’s daughter motioned for her to come to the bathroom. The girl then disclosed that Pendleton had hurt her, and that he forced her to participate in several sexual acts, KTVI reported.
The child also said that Pendleton made her eat meth, and that he forced her to smoke marijuana and cigarettes.
The victim’s mother immediately took her to a hospital, and contacted police.
“As you can imagine an 8-year-old on meth, not a sight you see every day,” Sgt. Sitzes told KTVI. “She was very fidgety, very amped up.”
Investigators responded to the hotel to locate Pendleton, who was driving away as officers arrived, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
He was stopped and arrested for driving with a suspended license, and investigators obtained search warrants for his vehicle and hotel room. The evidence they recovered corroborated the child’s allegations, police said.
Pendleton told investigators that he rolled methamphetamine up in toilet paper and told the girl to eat it, KTVI reported.
He also admitted to having sexually assaulted her.
Police said the mother is not under investigation, and that she did not know of Pendleton’s intent when he she allowed her daughter to have contact with him.
The child had been alone with Pendleton for between six and eight hours, police said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
She was treated and released from the hospital, Sgt. Sitzes said.
Pendleton was on parole for methamphetamine manufacturing.
According to the Riverfront Times, he has served prison time for a variety of offenses, including burglary, trespassing, failure to pay child support, drug-related offenses and driving offenses.
He has been designated as a persistent offender in the state of Missouri.
Pendleton is being held on $250,000 bond.