The mayor of a small Missouri town has been arrested and charged with multiple alleged sex crimes. St. Louis County Police arrested Riverview Mayor Mike Cornell Jr. on Thursday, with prosecutors charging him with “four counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, three counts of first-degree sodomy or attempted sodomy, one count of first-degree harassment and one count of possession of child pornography,” First Alert 4 noted. Riverview Mayor Michael Cornell Jr. charged with sex crimeshttps://t.co/6c19uslvlf — FOX2now (@FOX2now) January 15, 2026 First Alert 4 has more: St. Louis County Police said Thursday there were four victims, including two minors under the age of 17, and the timeframe these alleged crimes took place was between December 2016 and the present day. According to the St. Louis County Police’s probable cause statement, Cornell committed forcible sex acts on at least three victims, including a minor. They say he made sexual advances against a fourth victim. Police say they found child sexual abuse material on Cornell’s phone. Police told reporters Thursday they believe there could be additional victims due to the nature of the alleged crimes. Both St. Louis County Prosecutors and Police asked any potential victims to come forward when they are ready. St. Louis County Police asked any potential victims of Cornell Jr. to contact the Division of Criminal Investigations at (314) 615-5400. The department said it was made aware of the allegations against Cornell and potential crimes from another local agency, but would not say who. St. Louis County investigators said they began their investigation into Cornell last month. “As the commander of the Riverview Police Department, I would like to say the charges brought against Mike Cornell Jr. are deeply disturbing. I want the ‘City of Riverview’ to know the Police Department stands with the residents of this community, and the victims of these heinous acts. Now that these traumatic incidents have been brought to our attention, we give our full support and cooperation to the Saint Louis County Police Department,” Riverview’s Acting Police Chief, Toreyon Times, said in a statement. “No matter of your position or title, no one is above the law. Anyone who commits offenses and believes they do not have to abide by the law can expect they will be fully prosecuted,” the statement continued. Prior to the arrest of Riverview Mayor Michael Cornell Jr. on Jan. 15, First Alert 4 was investigating various claims made against the mayor, including several lawsuits naming him and the local government. https://t.co/SJ9rp9BpVx — KMOV (@KMOV) January 16, 2026 FOX 2 noted: Cornell, 39, has been a figure in Riverview government since 2022, first as a trustee, then elected as the city’s mayor in April 2024. This is not the first time Cornell has faced controversy; multiple lawsuits have previously been filed against the city of Riverview, claiming misconduct and sexual harassment by him. St. Louis County Police Lt. Colonel Jerry Lohr said during a Thursday news conference on the charges, “I think he portrayed himself as an individual who had power, who had prestige, and I think he used that to entice some of his victims.” Watch additional coverage below: