Rice enters not-guilty plea on new charges 

An Orrick man is facing multiple felony child sex abuse charges in regards to two different cases.  

Elliott B. Rice, 41, entered a not-guilty plea earlier this week before Seventh Judicial Circuit Court Judge Louis Angles. Judge Angles usually serves at Clay County Courthouse, but after Ray County Prosecutor Camille A. Johnston filed a motion for a change of judge, the case was reassigned.  

Rice entered a not-guilty plea on two counts of first-degree felony sodomy or attempted sodomy. A preliminary hearing will be held for these charges at 1 p.m. Nov. 7. 

Although Rice is already set for trial on another case involving the same confidential child victim (CCV1), a therapy session revealed new allegations, causing another case of charges to be filed.  

Rice will face a jury of his peers Feb. 19, 2024, for charges that were filed in 2021. He faces 10 felony charges including: four counts of statutory sodomy, attempt, deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 14 years old, aggravated sexual offense; two counts of second-degree child molestation, aggravated sexual offense, child less than 17 years of age and offender greater than four years older; two counts of first offense sexual misconduct involving child under 15; sexual exploitation of a minor and fourth-degree child molestation, child less than 17 years of age and offender greater than four years older.   

Probable cause must be determined at the preliminary hearing for the 2023 charges before there is a possibility of combining the two cases.

The probable cause statements from both cases written by Senior Commissioned Investigator Jeff Glandon, a member of the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team, contained multiple serious allegations from CCV1, which are graphic and invasive. The details will not be disclosed by The Excelsior Springs Standard. 

When requesting a warrant for Rice’s arrest, Glandon stated he does not believe the defendant will appear in court due to significant financial resources through personal and family members. In the probable cause statement Glanson also said he believes Rice will pose a danger to the crime victim, “Defendant engaged in sexual conduct and made sexual contact with CCV1 on multiple occasions, defendant knows intimate details about CCV1 and her family and because the defendant was in care and compulsively targeted an underage female for sexual gratification without regard to her age or mental well-being.” 

The Standard will continue ongoing coverage of both cases.