Newton County Man Charged

A Newton County man is accused inappropriate sexual contact with an underage male family member.

The story below courtesy of KTLO:

Twenty-year-old Elijah Wilt is charged with felony counts of rape and sexual indecency with a child. The rape charge is a Class Y felony, the most serious classification of crime in Arkansas not punishable by death.

According to the probable cause affidavit, a Newton County investigator was advised on March 27 by a deputy of a sexual assault case. The investigator made arrangements for the 14-year-old victim to meet with a forensic interviewer and a child advocate at Grandma’s House Child Advocacy Center in Harrison.

The deputy also informed the investigator the suspect was a family member, identified as Wilt. Wilt was reportedly still on the scene but requested to speak with an attorney. He was released from the scene and went to stay with his grandmother.

The investigator went to Grandma’s House, where the interview was being conducted. The victim said Wilt was visiting and asked him the night before if he wanted to do anything sexual, and the teen was reportedly afraid to say no. Wilt allegedly entered the victim’s room around 4 that morning. The teen’s mother later walked in and observed Wilt in the room but was unaware of what was happening.

The victim also stated similar activity occurred when he was age 6, and Wilt was 12. The teen said it occurred multiple times during a period of over a year, until it was realized by his parents. The issue was reportedly addressed, and it hadn’t occurred again until last month. The teen claimed his sister was also a victim of Wilt from years ago, but he didn’t know any details.

Another interview was conducted with the victim’s sister. She claimed to have first had inappropriate contact with Wilt when she was 6, and he was 10. She claimed her parents found out about the activity, and it hasn’t happened to her since.

The victims’ parents were later interviewed. The mother said she and her husband had a disagreement the night before, and she slept on the living room couch. Wilt was sleeping on a pull-out couch. The mother said she noticed Wilt wake up and go to her son’s room around 3 that morning. She said she didn’t see Wilt when she went in, but she called for him, and he came out of a bathroom.

They went back to the living room, and the mother fell asleep. She woke up nearly 3 1/2 hours later and noticed Wilt was not on the pull-out couch again. She says she went to her son’s room and noticed Wilt standing by the bed. Wilt reportedly admitted to touching the teen. She immediately separated the two, woke up her husband and contacted authorities and a counselor.

Wilt has been in the Newton County Jail since April 18. His bond is set at $50,000.