Couple arrested in sex abuse case; Wright Co. Sheriff focused on victim recovery

WRIGHT COUNTY, Mo. — Wright County Sheriff Sonny Byerley said a case this week was an unfortunate first in his life.

“It’s actually the first sex trafficking case,” Byerley said.

Which he says is surprising.

“It kind of does. I mean, I grew up in this community, and it’s not something I wanted to see as a citizen come across,” Byerley said. “It’s also something I don’t like seeing come across as a sheriff.”

This week Amy Mattlage from Monett and Randel Brown from Hartville were arrested for several counts related to alleged sex abuse and trafficking.

Mattlage has been arrested for alleged first-degree sexual abuse and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

Brown is facing three counts of first-degree sexual abuse and three counts of first-degree sodomy, according to court records.

The probable cause statement also said the victim in this case is a mid-20s low-functioning woman with autism.

“Any time you have a sexual type case, whether it be an adult who’s raped or abused or if it’s a child, it makes me sick. It makes me sick that there are people in our communities all across America, all across the world, that think this is okay,” Byerley said. “This is our children. This is our neighbors. It’s disgusting, and that’s why we pride ourselves in going the extra distances to get the convictions in these cases, because that victim needs somebody.”

In the probable cause statement, it’s noted that Brown and Mattlage are in a relationship and said Mattlage knew of the alleged abuse and even encouraged it.

That abuse, per court documents, includes allegations of Brown engaging in multiple acts of abuse in Mattlage’s home in Monett and Brown’s home in Hartville, telling investigators he knew with the victim’s mental capacity, it’s not possible for her to give consent.

With Mattlage and Brown currently being held in the Lawrence County Jail without bond, Byerley said this is a chance for the victim to start the recovery process.

“We have a victim advocate in our agency. So inside of our courthouse, we utilize through the prosecutor’s office, a grant, for them to be there, to also take a handle from my agency to the court agencies,” Byerley said. “That person is there for testimony, for getting help, seeking counseling all of [the things] a victim would need if other agencies aren’t doing that.”

It’s similar to what the Child Advocacy Center in Springfield does.

“What we do is we provide a safe, child-friendly environment where the child victims or if there is concern that a child is being abused or neglected or at risk can come,” Katina Dull, the organization’s executive director said.

With Mattlage facing trafficking charges, trafficking on a local level is more common than many may think.

“Trafficking has a face that is a lot more local than what we’re truly aware of as a community,” Dull said.

Dull said they are more focused on assisting in the initial investigation but intend to help post-investigation too.

“Rather than being interviewed or asked questions in a police station or other environments that are not supportive and welcoming for a child, here at the Child Advocacy Center, we’re providing that safe space both physically and psychologically, to help them feel comfortable, to be able to share what they’ve experienced or witnessed,” Dull said. “There’s the healing process, and those are those very critical steps following any trauma on ensuring the child or adult is getting appropriate mental health services, trauma informed mental health services, so that they can begin to address the residual effects of the trauma and move forward to a place of healing.”

It’s not just victims that are getting treatment after these investigations either.

Byerley said he requires his detectives to speak to a psychologist either during or after these investigations and work on their mental health.

“Detectives, when they’re working cases like this, they have to see a psychologist during the process or after the process, depending on the length of the case. We’ve had sex cases last months, so they would seek counseling during that time to make sure that they’re mentally healthy,” Byerley said.

He said above it all, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office wants what’s best for the victim, which is who they serve.

“That’s what they’re hoping for, a little closure for the victim. So they will push through for that victim. The thing that I do as a sheriff is I make sure that mentally they are healthy, the same as they would if they had some other injury or illness,” Byerley said. “If we don’t stand up and speak for the victim, then who? That victim deserves a voice. That victim deserves a voice not only during the time that we’re investigating it but in the court case and even after, if they need it, the victim doesn’t have anybody to speak for them but themself. When we come into a case, the victim is our number one priority.”

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