Two Mount Pleasant residents are facing charges following an investigation involving a registered sex offender allegedly spending time around his girlfriend’s young children.
According to court documents, the investigation began after the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services received a report May 13 concerning Clayton William Titus, 32, being around the children of his girlfriend, Leia Christine Rusch, 29.
A child protection worker contacted the Henry County Sheriff’s Office on May 20. Investigators say the alleged contact occurred at Rusch’s Mount Pleasant residence on several occasions.
Court documents state Titus admitted to authorities that over a period of about two months, he stayed at Rusch’s residence for one or two nights while her children were home. Authorities say the children are not Titus’s and that Rusch knew Titus was a registered sex offender.
Titus is accused of child endangerment involving each of the two children. The complaints allege that as a registered sex offender for an offense against a minor, Titus knowingly had control of or unsupervised access to the children.
Titus is also accused of a first-offense sex offender registry violation. Investigators say he was required to report changes or additional addresses to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry within three business days. According to the affidavit, as of his last report on August 31, Titus had not reported Rusch’s address despite allegedly staying there on multiple occasions.
Rusch is separately accused of child endangerment involving each child. Court documents allege that she knowingly allowed Titus to have custody, control or unsupervised access to her children despite knowing he was required to register as a sex offender.
The complaints were filed in Henry County District Court in early September.
Defendants are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in court.
