OSAGE COUNTY  — William C. Ziebarth, 18, of St. Thomas, was charged on Friday with felony second-degree rape, first-degree harassment, possession of child pornography (first offense), and invasion of privacy – victim less than 18.

According to his probable cause statement, Cpl. Dennis Sutton noted the 14-year-old victim told him during a March 22 cursory interview regarding harassment and a sexual assault that Ziebarth had messaged her, saying he would tell her friend about them if she didn’t have sex with him. The victim said Ziebarth then sent her a video she said was taken without her consent of the two of them having sex and threatened to send the video to her friends as proof.

Sutton noted in his PC statement that the victim disclosed she and Ziebarth had sex multiple times before and after Ziebarth turned 18. The victim said that during a specific incident in February on an Osage County gravel road, she told Ziebarth numerous times to stop, but he did not.

She told Sutton that she felt scared of Ziebarth and uncomfortable during the incident. In reference to harassment, the victim said she felt upset and distressed by the thought of being bullied.

Ziebarth told Cpl. Sutton during an interview the same day that he began speaking to the victim in October 2023. He added their sexual relationship began in November 2023 and continued until February. He told Sutton they had relations multiple times per month in his vehicle after he picked up the victim from her residence.

Ziebarth admitted to taking a video of himself and the victim having sex and sending the video to the victim. Additionally, he admitted to sending the victim pictures of his genitals and that he had received sexually explicit images from her.

Ziebarth denied failing to stop as the victim claimed. He told Sutton that if he did not hear her tell him to stop the first time, he would stop when she said it again. Ziebarth also said that he remembered the victim telling him to stop several times, and he stopped each time.

Ziebarth’s initial court appearance was scheduled for March 26 before Judge Sonya D. Brandt.