Hot Springs man faces rape charges involving 7-year-old girl

[Artaxerxes II]

https://www.hotsr.com/news/2024/sep/19/ ... volving-7/

A Hot Springs man has been charged with two counts of rape involving a 7-year-old girl that allegedly occurred between November 2020 and April 2024, beginning when the victim was 4 years old.
Derick Lee Watts, 35, who lists a Mountain Meadow Road address, was taken into custody on Thursday, Sept. 12, shortly after 9:30 a.m. on a warrant for two counts of rape, each punishable by up to life in prison, and remained in custody Wednesday on a $500,000 bond.
Watts appeared Tuesday in Garland County Circuit Court, where the case was filed directly on Sept. 11, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A court order barring him from contact with the alleged victim was issued Wednesday by Circuit Court Judge Kara Petro. The next hearing in the case is set for Nov. 18.

According to the probable cause affidavit, on April 1, a report was filed with the Garland County Sheriff's Office regarding the rape of a 7-year-old female by a known suspect, identified as Watts.
The girl was interviewed that same day at the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center and during the course of the interview she allegedly disclosed she had been raped in multiple ways.
She stated she would go to the home of Watts to watch movies and he would "do bad stuff to her," and that he had been doing it to her since she was 4 years old.

The interviewer introduced anatomically correct dolls and the girl would show the interviewer what happened with Watts using the dolls. She also drew pictures on a drawing board and then explained the pictures to the interviewer, stating that was "what Derick would make her do."
The girl also stated Watts would show her videos on the phone she described as being sexual in nature. The affidavit notes during the course of the investigation, "Derick" was identified as Watts who was then residing at an Amity Road address.
On April 2, Watts voluntarily came to the sheriff's office for questioning and after being read his rights agreed to talk to investigators without an attorney present with the interview recorded.

During the interview, Watts reportedly denied all the allegations against him. He said "something must have happened" to the girl and "someone had to have abused her," but it was not him. He described the girl as being "very loving" and "always wanting to be around him."
He confirmed the girl would come to his house to watch movies and that it would just be the two of them there. He also reportedly admitted they would "lay down on the sofa together" while watching movies.
After further investigation, a warrant for Watts' arrest on the rape charges was issued on Sept. 12.

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Guilty or not, his name is public now so his life is ruined.