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Man charged after father finds suspect in daughter's Lee's Summit bedroom

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 42-year-old man is in custody after he broke into a Lee's Summit family's home and made it into a 9-year-old girl's bedroom late Wednesday night.

According to court documents, the father in the house heard a noise just before 11 p.m. He discovered a man, later identified as Robert McDowell, standing at the edge of his daughter's bed.

The father later told police that he grabbed McDowell and struck him several times while his wife called police. The father was able to hold McDowell while police arrived in the 1100 block of SE 11th Street.

Officers quickly entered and took McDowell into custody without further incident.

The suspect reported minor injuries and was treated and released from an area hospital.

The homeowner was not injured.

The investigation revealed the man entered by breaking in a back door at the home after trying and failing to break into other homes in the neighborhood.

Officers also found several images of apparent child porn on the suspect's cell phone.

During questioning, police described McDowell's speech as rapid and potentially under the influence.

Prosecutors charged McDowell with felony first-degree burglary and two counts of possession of child pornography.

Prosecutors requested McDowell be held on an $80,000 bond.

If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.