FBI agents visited a house near Gerald Monday, Dec. 12. An expected press release giving details of the investigation did not materialize last week. Instead, the FBI and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Tuesday, Dec. 20, at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Union. 

The purpose of the press conference was to plead for public help in locating Donald Eugene Fields II, 58, described as a Franklin County man. Fields is facing child sex trafficking and child rape charges in state and federal court. Fields’ “Wanted by the FBI” poster indicates he is believed to be in the Franklin or Phelps counties area of Missouri. 

Fields should be considered armed and dangerous. 

The poster notes Fields is a white male and uses a birthdate of July 9, 1964. He has brown hair, hazel eyes, weighs between 219 to 235 pounds and is between six feet to six feet four inches tall. He has scars on his chest, groin, left calf, both legs and knees. 

Fields has worked as a tree trimmer, former resale shop owner, and independently sold used cars.

The office of the U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Missouri offered more details on the case. 

Fields was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Dec. 7 on one count of child sex trafficking. His co-defendant Theodore “Ted” John Sartori Sr., 62, was indicted on the same charge. Sartori has been arrested and pleaded not guilty to the charge last week. 

The indictment accuses both men of knowingly attempting to recruit, entice, provide, patonize and solicit a minor into engaging in a commercial sex act from about January 2013 until June 2017. 

In a court hearing last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Collins said Sartori provided cash, cars, motorcycles, vacations and Christmas presents to Fields in exchange for access to the victim. 

Fields is also facing charges including statutory rape, statutory sodomy, child molestation and witness tampering in Franklin County Circuit Court. A warrant for his arrest was issued by that court after Fields vacated his home and failed to show up for a March 3, hearing, court records show. 

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The sex trafficking charge carries a potential penalty of ten years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. 

The case was investigated jointly by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and FBI, with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri 

Those with any information about Fields should contact their local FBI office. In the St. Louis area, the number is 314-589-2500. Information may also be given to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office by calling 636-583-2560. Callers may remain anonymous.

Fields’ Wanted by the FBI poster can be viewed at gasconadecountyrepublican.com.