Princeton, WV (WOAY) – A Mercer County man is in jail for an alleged sex crime against a person living with developmental disabilities.
According to magistrate court records, the investigation began in June of 2025 when deputies responded to an indecent exposure complaint at a Mercer County trailer park. According to court documents, a neighbor recorded video evidence of a male later identified as 20-year-old Charles Leslie Keffer, and a female engaged in sex acts in the front yard. Deputies later determined that the female in the videos is autistic, and court documents name her mother as legal guardian due to her intellectual condition.
According to deputies, Keffer declined the opportunity to make a voluntary statement. Deputies obtained a search warrant and collected swabs for DNA evidence. As a result of forensic testing, male DNA evidence was recovered on multiple swabs. On December 10, 2025, the West Virginia State Police Crime Lab reported the male DNA profile was a consistent match with the DNA sample collected from Keffer.
Investigators also had to the opportunity to conduct a forensic with the alleged victim. According to court records, the victim said she was sexually assaulted. Investigators considered the victim mentally impaired and that Keffer would have known of her limitations.
Charles Leslie Keffer is charged with sexual assault in the third degree and sexual abuse in the second degree.
He remains in the Southern Regional Jail under a $50,000 bond.
