Huelsenbeck sentenced to 15 years for statutory rape

William A. Huelsenbeck of Gainesville will serve 80% of his 15 year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections after he was found to be in violation of his probation. 

Huelsenbeck pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to statutory rape of a 12-year-old girl in 2008-09, and was sentenced to 15 years in the DOC, SES, and 5 years probation along with other requirements including the requirement of substance abuse treatment and the lifetime requirement of registering as a sex offender. The judgment was handed down by Judge Jessica Lynn Kruse after a change of judge was granted in August 2024.

An SES, or suspended execution of sentence, means a defendant will be sentenced to a prison term but will be placed on probation and will not go to prison unless they violate the terms of that probation.

A probation violation was filed in March 21, 2025, when he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance – a direct violation of conditions of his probation. He was taken into custody and remained in the Ozark  County Jail until his probation violation hearing on May 15.

Although many defendants are only required to serve as little as 15% of their prison sentence, Huelsenbeck will be required to serve 85% of his sentence due to statutory rape of a 12-year-old being on the “dangerous felony list.”

Huelsenbeck was originally indicted on the charge by an Ozark County grand jury in February 2023. 

According to the probable cause statement prepared by Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin, in October 2010, a teen girl came into the sheriff’s offce and said that her ex-boyfriend had been messaging a 12-year-old girl and she believed he had also had sex with a 13-year-old girl from Thornfield. 

That led Martin to call the girl with whom the boyfriend had reportedly had sex with and request that she come into the sheriff’s department with a parent or guardian. The girl reportedly told the officer that her grandmother was aware that she was sexually active and had had multiple partners, one of whom she said was Huelsenbeck. 

The complaint in the case says that the sexual intercourse was reported to have happened sometime between Sept. 2, 2008, and Sept. 1, 2009. 

Although the case was 13 years old, it was legally filed. According to Missouri Revised Statute 556.037, there is no statute of limitations to prosecute unlawful sexual offenses involving a person younger than 18. Although the court documents do not explain the lapse of time between the incident and filing, it could be in reference to victim’s ability or willingness to testify and work with authorities to press charges.

Huelsenbeck remains in the Ozark County Jail awaiting transport to the DOC.