Man Charged with Sexual Abuse on Grounds of Gateway Arch National Park

ST. LOUIS - A man from Fairview Heights, Illinois was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday and accused of committing a sexual assault in Gateway Arch National Park.

Monte Derrell Boatman, 35, was indicted on one count of sexual abuse. The indictment accuses him of committing the forcible assault on park grounds on Dec. 6, 2023, and placing the victim in fear of death, serious bodily injury or kidnapping.

Boatman is in custody.

The sexual abuse charge is punishable by up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.

Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the National Park Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.