A Jefferson City man was sentenced to life in prison, calculated as 30 years in prison, after pleading guilty to first-degree statutory sodomy of a child under 12, according to online court records.

Ryan Swillum, 25, was sentenced Monday and is eligible for parole after 25.5 years.

Prosecutors said the abuse took place between August 2018 and May 2020 in Jefferson City. Swillum was charged in February 2023 after the victim told their parents, who immediately contacted law enforcement.

As part of his plea, Swillum admitted to being a predatory sexual offender, making the life sentence mandatory.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson thanked the Jefferson City Police Department for its work on the case in an August news release. He also acknowledged Therapy Paws and the prosecutor’s of

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