An inmate serving time for rape, sodomy and child pornography charges has died at the age of 79 at a prison in Cameron.

According to a news release, Paul Mazzie was pronounced dead at 12:38 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016 at the Western Missouri Correctional Center. Mr Mazzie was serving a 25-year prison sentence out of Jefferson County.

He was received in the Missouri Department of Corrections on July 24, 2002.

Department officials say Mr Mazzie died of apparent natural causes.