Man arrested on suspicion of trying to sodomize 2-year-old girl in front of mom at Missouri park

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KABC) -- A 24-year-old Missouri man was arrested and charged on suspicion of trying to sodomize a 2-year-old girl at a playground in front of her mother.

William Bates Jr. was charged with two counts of attempted sodomy on Saturday in Jackson County Circuit Court.

On Friday, the little girl's mother told police her daughter was playing on a swing at Kemp Park in Kansas City, Missouri. She said she noticed Bates was "eyeballing" her daughter, according to court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star.

She said that Bates then walked up to her daughter, lifting her from the swing. The child's mother went on to say that Bates then pulled down the girl's diaper, pulled down his pants and thrusted his hips.

That is when the child's mother ran toward him. Bates tripped and fell to the ground, which gave the mother a chance to get on top of him and hit him, according to court documents.

Bates ran off, but authorities were able to catch him and take him into custody. Documents show that Bates told police he smoked a cigarette he had gotten from another man at the park and didn't remember anything until he was arrested.

He told police he thought he had been drugged, the newspaper reported.