Taney County man charged with two counts of Failing to Register as Sex Offender
A man who was convicted of statutory rape in Stone County in 2018 is being charged in Taney County on accusations he failed to register as a sex offender after residing in Taney County.
Joseph M. Hunepohl has been charged with two Class Felonies of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender under Missouri statutes governing sex-offender registration. The charges stem from allegations Hunepohl was living at an unregistered address and operating an unregistered vehicle.
According to the felony complaint filed in Taney County court, the alleged offenses occurred between approximately July 1 and September 15, 2026.
Hunepohl’s charges allege he knowingly failed to comply with registration requirements after beginning to reside in Cedar Creek within Taney County.
The first count says Hunepohl was required to register his address with the appropriate law-enforcement authority within three days of beginning to live at the residence. Prosecutors allege he did not do so, according to the complaint.
The second count alleges Hunepohl also failed to register information concerning a vehicle he owned or operated for the registry. Information which should have been registered includes the vehicle's year, make, model and color.
According to the probable-cause statement dated Sept. 15, Hunepohl came to report for his required 90-day registration but allegedly denied he was living at a Taney County address, which was not the one listed on his registry.
According to the probable-cause statement, Hunepohl's obligation to register stems from prior Feb. 22, 2018, convictions in Stone County. Hunepohl, who was 35-years-old at the time of the conviction, was convicted of first-degree statutory rape involving a person under 14 and second-degree statutory sodomy. According to court records, the 2018 victim was a 13-year-old female.
In the probable cause statement files, the investigating deputy alleged Hunepohl posed a danger to the community, citing what the deputy described as ‘a violent history and a record of multiple contact with law enforcement. Hunepohl has multiple convictions of various crimes.’
The deputy further alleged Hunepohl had demonstrated a disregard for the law and questioned whether he would appear for court.
If convicted, Hunepohl faces a mandatory minimum of two-years in prison according to Missouri law.
Hunepohl was arraigned on Sept. 19, where he made the initial plea of not guilty and was referred to the public defender for counsel.
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