Springfield man charged with enticement of a child, attempted kidnapping

(From the Springfield Police Department)

Danny R. Piper, 48, from Springfield was charged yesterday with Enticement of a Child and Attempted Child Kidnapping. He is being held in the Greene County Jail with no bond.

Please read the incident details below. We are concerned there might be other similar incidents involving Piper that have not been reported. We are encouraging potential victims or their parents to report the incidents so we can investigate.

Original news release

On April 12, 2023, at 7:02 p.m., Springfield Police officers responded to an attempted abduction of a child at the Dream Center at 829 W. Atlantic. 

When officers arrived, they were told a male attempted to get a child to leave with him but was stopped by the child’s father. The suspect and child did not know each other. The male suspect then left the area on foot with a female prior to officers arriving on scene. The child was not harmed during the incident.

Employees of the Dream Center identified the suspect as Danny R. Piper, 48, from Springfield.
Officers located Piper a short time later. He was arrested and booked into the Greene County Jail. It was determined that the female who accompanied Piper was not involved, so she was released. 

On April 13, 2023, the case was presented to the Greene County Prosecutors Office and Piper was charged with Enticement of a Child and Attempted Child Kidnapping. Piper is being held in the Greene County Jail with no bond. 

The Greene County Prosecutor’s Office cautions that the charges contained in the felony complaint are merely allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Investigators are concerned that there might be other similar incidents involving Piper in the area that have not been reported. The Springfield Police Department encourages potential victims or their parents to report the incidents so detectives can investigate those as well. 

The Springfield Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division is continuing to investigate this incident. Detectives are asking anyone who has additional information to contact the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477).