KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Missouri man is in custody and faces multiple charges after he allegedly assaulted a 2-year-old girl at a playground Friday.
William L. Bates Jr. faces multiple charges after police say he attacked a 2-year-old girl at a Kansas City playground. (Courtesy: WDAF)
William L. Bates Jr., 24, of Kansas City, is charged with 1st degree attempted sodomy, and attempted statutory sodomy with a person less than 12 years old.
A 2-year-old girl was playing on a swing at Kemp Playground near 9th and Harrison in Kansas City when Bates, as the child’s mother told police, began “eyeballing” her children. The mother said Bates walked up behind the girl and snatched her off the swing before grabbing the toddler by the hips and pulling her diaper down.
The mother said she saw Bates lift his shirt, take his pants down and begin thrusting against her daughter. Police said the girl’s mother ran at Bates and knocked him to the ground, pummeling him with her fists while he was down.
Bates eventually managed to get away and run from the park, but the child’s mother ran to reStart, a nearby homeless shelter, and called police.
Officers arrested Bates near the playground, and found he was carrying marijuana and an unidentified white vile of fluid with a chemical odor, according to the arrest report.
The mother later identified Bates from a police photo as the attacker.
At the Jackson County Detention Center, Bates told police he had gotten a cigarette from someone near the park and doesn’t remember anything of the incident until he awoke inside a fenced in area and was taken into custody by police.
Bates’ bond is set at $150,000 cash only. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.
