Wife walks in on man abusing underage girl, Springfield police say

When a 25-year-old man didn't tell his wife he loved her before she left for work, his wife became suspicious.

Police say she went back to her Springfield residence and opened the front door to see her husband, Ryan Lee Christoph, having oral sex performed on him by an underage relative.

The incident is described in a probable cause statement used to charge Christoph with five counts of statutory sodomy and one count of statutory rape.

The abuse allegedly began around Christmas 2016 when the girl was 13.

According to the statement, the abuse continued until Christoph's wife walked in on him this month.

The statement said police found sexual messages on Facebook between the girl and Christoph.

The girl told investigators that Ryan engaged in several different sexual acts with her on several different occasions at a Springfield residence and in a parked car, the statement said.

Some of the acts involved choking her and binding her wrists, the statement said.

Ryan allegedly told police he had a relationship with the girl and that he knew it was wrong to have a sexual relationship with someone who is both a relative and underage.

Online court records show Christoph, who is from Nixa, is currently being held in the Greene County Jail on a $25,000 bond.