From: Platte County Prosecuting Attorney "Eric Zahnd"
Date: Februrary 4, 2010
Subject: Bad day for sex offenders in Platte County
February 2 was an especially bad day for two child sex offenders in Platte County. Joseph Savala, 47, of Tracy, was found guilty after a jury trial of statutory sodomy in the second degree. In an unrelated case, Joen Lukas, 38, of Kansas City, was sentenced to 36 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of statutory rape, sodomy, and incest.
Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said, “Both of these men took advantage of teenagers. One man abused a close family friend. Worse yet, the other man repeatedly violated a member of his own family.”
Savala was found guilty of performing a sexual act on a 16-year-old boy following a two-day jury trial. Prosecutors proved that Savala fondled the victim while he was sleeping on a couch at a family member's home. The victim reported the incident to the Platte City Police Department within 25 minutes. |
Joen Lukas
|
Joseph Savala
|
The jury recommended Savala serve two years in prison and pay a fine. Savala is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Owens Lee Hull, Jr. on March 25.
In another case, Lukas admitted to repeatedly raping and sodomizing a teenage family member over a number of years. Judge Abe Shafer sentenced Lukas to the maximum sentence on six different felony counts and ordered the sentences against him to run consecutively, resulting in a 36-year prison term.
The offenses came to light about a year ago when a neighbor found the victim shivering and crying in the stairwell of their apartment building. Officers arrested Lukas, who later explained he had become sexually attracted to the victim. Lukas admitted he had sex with the victim “over 100 times” and fathered a child by her.
Zahnd said, “Few crimes are more heinous than when a predator steals a child’s innocence by abusing a trusted relationship for sexual purposes. These two young people showed great courage by reporting these horrible acts and confronting their abusers.”
The case against Savala was investigated by the Tracy and Platte City Police Departments. First Assistant Prosecutor Mark Gibson and Assistant Prosecutor Justin Kalwei tried the case against Savala.
The case against Lukas was investigated by Crimes Against Children Unit of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Joe Vanover.
Eric G. Zahnd
Platte County Prosecuting Attorney
415 Third Street
Suite 60
Platte City, Missouri 64079
(816) 858-3476
(816) 858-3472 (fax)
|
