KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputy charged with child rape and other crimes will stay behind bars until his trial date.
A Wyandotte County judge ruled today that Michael Mastel will be bound over for trial on charges of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, and three counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
Mastel was charged in April after the victim came forward and said that Mastel had sexual contact with them from 2011 through June 2018. The charges stem from one single victim, who was under the age of 14 when the alleged crimes occurred.
When the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office learned of the allegations, they turned the case over to KCK police.
“It’s never easy to receive these type of reports, especially concerning someone who you work with. They immediately jumped on this and began to investigate and turned it over to the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department for transparency purposes,” said District Attorney Mark Dupree.
Sheriff Donald Ash said Mastel has worked at the sheriff’s office since 2008 but became a deputy in 2010. Ash said Mastel is still employed with the agency but has been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the case.
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