A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper is charged with second-degree rape after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in July in West Plains.
Online court records show that Ethan Minge from Pomona was arrested and charged with second-degree rape, to which he pleaded not guilty. He has since posted a $10,000 cash bond.
Minge has been with the patrol since graduating from MSHP’s law enforcement academy in July 2024 and was assigned to Troop G in Zone 4, which covers northern Howell and Shannon counties. He has been on administrative leave since Dec. 9.
According to a police report, on Oct. 23, 2025, the female victim reported to the West Plains Police Department that she was sexually assaulted in her West Plains home in July by Minge.