A Platte City man has been charged with statutory sodomy involving high school students and remains in custody in the Platte County Detention Center on $100,000 cash bond.
Michael Rasmussen, 39, was charged in mid-December and taken into custody. Just before Christmas on Dec. 23, he appeared before Judge Susan Casey. Rassmussen’s attorney requested a surety bond, but the prosecutor’s office instead read a victim impact statement and asked the cash-only bond be increased to $500,000. No changes were made to bond and the case was continued to Feb. 10.
Rasmussen
According to court documents, the Platte City Police Department was contacted by the school resource officer at Platte County High School in November, stating a victim had come forward to report she had been at Rasmussen’s house with a friend when he started to massage that girl’s back and buttocks. When he finished, he asked her if she wanted a massage and she relented, but soon told him to stop.
The victim reported that her friend had been spending a lot of time with Rasmussen, and later during a text conversation admitted she and Rasmussen had started having sex when she was 12-13 years of age. The relationship had continued for years as the victim was now 16 year old.
The reporting party said the victim was hiding the relationship until she turned 18 so that Rasmussen “would not get in into trouble” and that sexting via phone was “too risky.” The reporting party also said the victim was “obsessed” and had a crush on Rasmussen.
In December, another victim came forward, stating Rasmussen had allegedly given her a massage as well, and that it turned sexual while the other victim watched and seemed to approve of the situation.
During the course of the investigation, police reported, Rasmussen allegedly made comments to a co-worker about the case and had made a statement about running.
Upon his arrest, he immediately asked for a lawyer. Later, a co-worker called and said Rasmussen had given him his cell phone because he didn’t want police to have it.