Farmington Man Sentenced to 83 Years for Sex Crimes Against Child

St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A Farmington man has been sentenced to more than eight decades in prison for a series of sex crimes involving his former stepdaughter.

On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, Circuit Judge Wendy Horn ordered 45-year-old John Maxwell to serve 30 years in prison on each of two counts of statutory sodomy, 15 years for child molestation, and four years on each of two counts of incest. The sentences will be served consecutively, totaling 83 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. The sentencing follows a two-day jury trial that ended June 3, 2025, with Maxwell being found guilty on all charges. During the hearing, the now 19-year-old survivor confronted Maxwell, describing the lasting trauma he caused. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Sarah Jackson recommended that Maxwell spend the rest of his life in prison.

Maxwell did not respond during the proceedings. His request for leniency was denied, and Judge Horn imposed the full consecutive sentences.