On Thursday, August 7, 2014, in the Associate Circuit Court of Taney County, Division I, DUSTIN LAYTON, d/o/b/ 7-04-1993, of Hollister, entered a plea of guilty to sexual misconduct in the first degree, and received a one (1) year sentence in the Taney County Jail. Judge Tony Williams sentenced Layton pursuant to a plea agreement made between the defendant and the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office.

Layton had followed a young woman through the Walmart store at Branson Hills Parkway on April 24, 2014. When the woman stopped at an aisle to get an item from the shelf, Layton exposed his genitals and made sexual comments to her. Layton then fled, but was later identified by photo line-up and surveillance video.

In April of 2013, Layton had pleaded guilty to the class D felony of sexual misconduct involving a child by indecent exposure, for exposing his genitals to children on a Hollister School bus in 2010. Layton was on probation for that felony offense at the time he committed this crime in April of 2014. Also, in March of 2013, Layton entered a guilty plea to the class B misdemeanor of sexual misconduct in the first degree and served six (6) months in the Taney County Jail, for exposing his genitals to a high school student in Walmart in December of 2012.

Normally, sexual misconduct in the first degree is a class B misdemeanor. However, because Layton had previously been found guilty of similar crimes, this charge was a class A misdemeanor. A class A misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of one (1) year in the county jail and/or a fine of $1,000.00. Layton’s felony probation was revoked as a result of Thursday’s guilty plea.