Ava man faces multiple child sex crime charges

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Mo. — A man from Ava has been charged with multiple child sex crimes after he's alleged to have two sexually abused underaged girls over a three-year span.

Online court dockets say James Leon Inman, born 1986, is charged with four counts of first-degree sodomy and four counts of first-degree statutory rape in Douglas County Circuit Court.

The probable cause statement says on July 16, 2025, a deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) was dispatched to a location in Ava to meet with two victims of past sexual assaults. 

One victim told law enforcement that Inman bought her alcohol when she was 14 or 15 and sexually assaulted her at his Webster County residence, according to the statement.

The statement says another victim told law enforcement Inman had intercourse with her around 50-100 times beginning when she was 12 and ending when she was 14 years old. 

The DCSO conducted an interview with Inman on Tuesday, Aug. 19. He denied any sexual contact with the victims but did provide corroborating information regarding the specific times and places the victims gave in their statements, court documents say.

Inman has been booked in the Douglas County Jail. Court dockets do not yet indicate when he's due in court.