Festus, Mo. (Sept. 17, 2025) — A Festus man with a history of sex offense convictions is facing new felony charges after allegedly cutting off his court-ordered electronic ankle monitor, which authorities later found floating in the Joachim Creek.

According to a complaint filed by the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Lionel Peterson, age 44, of Festus, is charged with tampering with electronic monitoring equipment, a Class D felony under Missouri law.

Detectives located Peterson’s severed ankle monitor on July 14 near Horine Road and the Joachim River. The device, which was required as a condition of his registration as a sex offender, had been cut in half and placed in a plastic bag before being discarded in the river, authorities said.

Officers were attempting to arrest Peterson at the time on two active felony warrants for failure to register as a sex offender, related to separate cases filed in Jefferson County. Investigators say Peterson’s location was initially tracked using the ankle monitor, but when they arrived, the device was no longer attached to him.

Prosecutors argue Peterson poses a risk of failing to appear in court, citing his prior felony record and the alleged attempt to avoid arrest by disabling his monitoring equipment.

Peterson has been designated a prior and persistent felony offender. Court records show he was previously convicted in Franklin County for child molestation in 2013 and for failure to register as a sex offender in 2014.

If convicted of the current charge, Peterson could face an enhanced sentence due to his repeat offender status.

The above charges are mere accusation and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Paul Barnard Editor

Paul Barnard is the editor of the Twin City News. Barnard Graduated from Norwich University, America's oldest private military college, with a B.S. in Communications and Media Technology. There he studied journalism and marketing. For years after, Barnard was in law enforcement and gained experience in the Special Investigations Unit and publishing all the department's press releases. As Barnard's family grew, he moved on to start Twin City News.

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