A stalking victim now knows that someone from the past apparently knew his or her every move.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol officer searched the person's vehicle and discovered a GPS tracking device in a magnetic case on the underside of the car.
Charles R. Ragsdale, 56, of Republic, was charged Tuesday, August 13, with first-degree stalking, a Class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
According to court documents, the alleged victim in the case – whose identity is not legally known and whose gender was not determined in this case – said he received text messages from 35 unknown phone numbers. The person believed they were from Ragsdale.
The recipient of the messages believed that 25 of the texts were sent after a judge issued a restraining order against Ragsdale. The order prohibited Ragsdale from contacting the victim.
He knew they were going to Branson; he took a photo of the victim's new home
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<p>” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/sgfcitizen.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CharlesRagsdale.jpg?fit=300%2C173&ssl=1″ data-large-file= “https://i0.wp.com/sgfcitizen.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CharlesRagsdale.jpg?fit=780%2C450&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” data-src=” https://i0.wp.com/sgfcitizen.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CharlesRagsdale.jpg?resize=780%2C450&ssl=1″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-116870″ data-recalc-dims=”1″/>Charles Ragsdale (Greene County booking photo Sheriff's Office)</p>
<p>The alleged victim suspected Ragsdale, according to court documents. According to the probable cause statement:</p>
<p>“On one occasion, the victim drove to Branson, Missouri and did not make the trip public. Ragsdale contacted two different acquaintances of the victim and said the victim was in Branson,” the Highway Patrol officer wrote in a probable cause statement used to charge Ragsdale.</p>
<p>“On another occasion, one of the unknown numbers contacted the victim and said that they had seen her at a restaurant where the victim had been.</p>
<p>“On another occasion, the victim moved into a new apartment,” the officer continued in the statement. “The same day they moved into the new apartment, an unknown number sent them a photo of the front of their new apartment. These incidents occurred after the protective order went into effect.”</p>
<p>When the officer found the GPS tracking device, the battery was dead, court documents state.</p>
<p>But according to court documents, Ragsdale told the officer that the tracking device worked when he followed the victim to his new residence, where he took a photo of the apartment and then sent it to the victim.</p>
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Ragsdale was in the Greene County Jail on Wednesday afternoon, August 14, with bail set at $15,000. He is also on the Missouri State Highway Patrol sex offender registry.
According to the Register, Ragsdale was convicted of providing or attempting to provide pornography to a minor, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $2,000, and second-degree child molestation, a Class B felony punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
In both cases, the victim was a 10-year-old girl. Based on the files in the offender registry, it is unclear whether it was the same girl or two different children.
The Greene County Family Justice Center published an article in June 2023 about what victims of domestic violence can do to protect themselves. It talks about GPS tracking devices. It states, among other things:
“GPS trackers can be hidden in your car, purse, gym bag or cell phone.
“If it's safe, use a mirror to look under your car's bumpers for GPS trackers. You should also check under the hood and under the seats. If you don't find any or can't safely perform this search, you can take the car to a trusted mechanic who will look for you.”
The story also discusses ways to protect cell phones and computers from stalkers and abusers.
The Greene County Family Justice Center is a nonprofit coalition of local agencies that provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic, sexual and family violence.
Justice Center Director Jamie Willis was a primary source for the Springfield Daily Citizen's 2023 reporting project “Living in Fear,” which included 29 stories about domestic violence in Greene County.
Steve Pokin
Steve Pokin writes the columns Pokin Around and The Answer Man for the Springfield Daily Citizen. He also writes about criminal justice issues. He can be reached at spokin@sgfcitizen.org. His office number is 417-837-3661. More from Steve Pokin
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