A Mississippian is behind bars in connection with an investigation into a missing underage female from another state.
The Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department received information about the unidentified female from Selmer, Tenn. She was reported as endangered and believed to be at a home on County Road 3020 in Booneville.
Law enforcement responded to the scene, where they made contact with a male, identified as 18-year-old Payton Bowen, and the female. Bowen was arrested and charged with statutory rape and sexual battery. His bond was set at $50,000.
Police report that the juvenile was safely returned to her mother.
Investigator Torie Jumper will present the case to the next Prentiss County grand jury, though additional charges may also be filed against Bowen in Tennessee.
