Man Suspected Of Abducting 2 Missouri Boys Indicted For Third Time In A Week

Friday, March 2nd 2007, 5:59 pm

By: News On 6

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) _ A Missouri man suspected of kidnapping and molesting two boys was indicted for the third time in as many days Friday, accused by a grand jury in St. Louis County of 71 counts of kidnapping and sodomy.

The 41-year-old former pizzeria manager faces 81 combined counts in federal court and three counties for allegedly kidnapping 13-year-old Ben Ownby and 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck, who was abducted in 2002 at the age of 11.

Friday's indictment was a procedural move that pushes Devlin's case to St. Louis Circuit Court. No trial date has been set.

Devlin's attorneys didn't return a message seeking comment Friday.

Devlin is charged with armed criminal action and kidnapping in Shawn's home of Washington County and Ben's home of Franklin County. Both boys were found inside Devlin's suburban St. Louis home Jan. 12.

U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway charged Devlin in federal court Thursday with four counts of photographing and videotaping a minor engaged in sexually explicit acts between 2002 and this year. Two other counts allege Devlin took the minor to Illinois and Arizona with the intent to sexually assault him.

It is The Associated Press' policy not to identify most alleged victims of sexual abuse, but the boys' stories have been widely publicized and their names are now well-known.

Devlin is being held in Franklin County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond.