BELLE — A man who previously lived in Osage County was charged earlier this year with three felony sex offenses involving a child following an investigation by the Osage County Sheriff’s Office.

Hayden L. Wade, 22, is charged in Osage County Circuit Court with two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy and one count of first-degree child molestation. Court documents allege the offenses occurred in Osage County in 2021.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Det. Sgt. Dennis Sutton, the investigation began after the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a report in August 2025 that the defendant had raped the victim and forced him to perform oral sex on him. The statement says investigators later conducted a forensic interview, during which the victim disclosed that the majority of the assaults took place out-of-state; however, several took place in Osage County. During the investigation, investigators obtained an audio recording in which Wade allegedly admitted to having sexual contact with the victim out of state but denied the Osage County offenses.

Sutton said the defendant declined an interview with investigators. The Sheriff’s Office requested a no-bond warrant, stating the defendant was unlikely to appear due to being in the military and stationed in Alaska.

Court records show an arrest warrant was issued April 29 with no bond authorized. Prosecutors later obtained a governor’s warrant to extradite the defendant from Alaska.

Following Wade’s return to Missouri, the original warrant was recalled, and he made his initial appearance in Osage County Circuit Court on July 17. Wade, represented by attorney Thomas Kirsch, waived formal reading of the charges and entered a plea of not guilty.

Judge Sonya Day Brandt amended Wade’s bond and released him on his own recognizance with conditions. The bond order requires that Wade have no contact with the alleged victim, be placed on GPS monitoring, obtain court approval before leaving Alaska except to appear in court or meet with counsel, and notify the prosecuting attorney’s office of any change in his military status.

A case review is scheduled for Aug. 18 in Osage County Circuit Court.