Branson man alleged to have raped juvenile girl in church parking lot

BRANSON, Mo. — A Branson man has been charged with statutory rape of a person less than 14 years old.

According to online court dockets, Jason Daniel Berriault, born 1985, was charged Wednesday, Aug. 13, in Taney County Circuit Court.

The probable cause statement says on Oct. 13, 2024, the victim went to the Taney County Sheriff's Office to report that Berriault began sexually abusing her when she was 11 to 12 years old at his Taneyville residence.

The statement says the Lakes Area Child Advocacy Center in Branson West conducted an interview with the victim. During the interview, she disclosed that when she was 11-12 years old, Berriault would pick her up from her mother's house and then stop in a church parking lot and rape her.

The victim told the interviewer that this type of sexual abuse occurred a few different times in different small parking lots.

Additionally, she said that when she was 12 or 14 years old in 2019 or 2020, he continued sexually abusing her.

She said she began to figure out "what he was doing to her" when she took a sex education class at school, the statement says.

If convicted, Berriault faces up to life in prison.