Man who sexually harassed women in Rountree gets 25 years

Gene Ferguson had previously been given a chance that Greene County prosecutors believed he did not deserve.

Ferguson, 42, was sentenced to nine years’ probation in February 2023 after pleading guilty to breaking into a woman’s north Springfield home and partially pulling down her pants while she slept.

About six months later, he committed a similar sexual assault at Rountree residences – wearing nothing more than a straw hat, reading glasses and a purple thong. Residents of the homes were reportedly shocked and confused when they found Ferguson in their homes.

“It has robbed them of their sense of security and violated their dignity,” Greene County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Lebeck said in court on July 12.

Lebeck called for a life sentence for Ferguson because of his continued criminal conduct.

“His actions not only compromised their safety, but the safety of our community,” Lebeck said.

In a large, mostly empty courtroom, Greene County District Court Judge Todd Myers sentenced Ferguson to 25 years in prison for first-degree burglary and first-degree sodomy/attempted sodomy for his crimes in July 2023. He was also given a nine-year sentence for violating probation.

Myers announced the sentence with a stern expression: Ferguson will not be eligible for parole until 85 percent of his sentence has been served.

“You committed a burglary and a few months later you committed these burglaries and you’re not just going to take something from a house,” Myers said. “These are very serious crimes and when I look at it, this case falls strongly in the direction of making sure that the sentence I impose protects the victims and the community.”

Myers said that in a recent sentencing decision, Ferguson was asked what criteria he used to choose his victims. The judge said the answer was, “Because she was there.”

What happened in the Rountrees’ houses, according to police

Ferguson reportedly entered several homes in the Rountree neighborhood in the early morning hours of July 23, 2023.

In one of the houses, a married couple were lying in bed when, according to police, the woman woke up to find Ferguson standing in front of her, trying to put his penis in her mouth. Ferguson was reportedly wearing a straw hat and glasses and was mostly exposed, as he was only wearing a thong.

The couple told police that Ferguson said someone had paid him to come to the house for sex and that he had a receipt. That same morning, police were called to the home of a mother and her daughter, where Ferguson entered and, according to a police report, put his penis in the mother’s face and said, “You want this shit, don’t you?”

Police later found Ferguson in a nearby backyard wearing only a Boy Scout shirt.

Ferguson apologizes at the verdict

Several victims of the break-ins and assaults in Ferguson were present in court on Friday, but did not want to comment during the sentencing.

Ferguson, represented by his public defender Jeff Wood, apologized profusely to the court and attributed his mental state during the incidents to drug use.

“I can’t imagine being in her shoes,” Ferguson said, looking at the victims sitting outside the courtroom. “Methamphetamine is a very bad drug, but I put myself in that position. I can’t say what I could do to justify what happened.”

Ferguson said he was a productive member of society and on the right path until he suffered an unspecified loss that sent him spiraling into drug addiction.

“Things happen that apologies cannot make up for,” Myers said shortly after the apology.

Robert Collingwood

Sports reporter

Ryan Collingwood covers college and high school sports in the greater Springfield area for the Daily Citizen. Have a story idea or something to complain about? Email [email protected], call 417-837-3660 or follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood. More from Ryan Collingwood