Fulton man charged with child molestation, abuse

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Fulton man was charged on Tuesday in Callaway County with second-degree child molestation and child abuse for an incident that allegedly occurred in 2024.

A no-bond warrant was issued for Zach Garner on Wednesday. A court date has not been announced.

The probable cause statement says a school resource officer in Callaway County was told by a school staff member on Jan. 16, that the victim told their parent about being molested by Gardner in 2024.

Garner had allegedly lived with one of the victim’s parents and sexually abused the youth during a night when the parent was asleep, the statement says. The parent and Garner got into an argument and Garner had left the residence afterwards, the statement says.

Garner allegedly denied the allegations to law enforcement but claimed he “wrestled” with the victim “frequently” and he “might have accidentally touched” the victim, which was a different scenario than the victim described in court documents.