ST. LOUIS, MO  (October 29, 2026) — Ricky Young, 33, was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday after a jury found him guilty of statutory sodomy — deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 12 years of age for an offense committed in the City's Mark Twain neighborhood.

On April 7, 2022, officers responded to a report involving the sexual assault of a minor. When officers arrived, they spoke with the mother of an 8-year-old girl, who explained that her daughter and siblings were playing a game called "ten fingers" in the car. During the game, the children were asked a series of questions and put down a finger if the answer was "yes." When asked whether an adult had ever touched them, the victim indicated that Young had. In the young girl’s child forensic interview with the Child Advocacy Center, she disclosed that Young forced her to perform a sexual act on him. She was 5 or 6 years old at the time.

“When an adult abuses a position of trust to exploit a child, the harm extends far beyond a single moment. Today's sentence ensures the defendant is held accountable for his actions and reflects our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community, said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore.

Special Victims Unit Supervisor Kayla Womble, Assistant Circuit Attorney Payton DeaVault, and Assistant Circuit Attorney Mikayla Jones prosecuted the case.

The defendant's case number is 2422-CR02427-01.