An Izard County man is facing multiple felony charges including rape, sexual assault in the second degree and sexual indecency with a child.
According to the affidavit for warrant of arrest filed May 19 in Izard County Circuit Court, the charges against 20-year-old James Bennett Powell stem from an incident May 8 when Izard County authorities were notified of an alleged sexual assault.
Authorities spoke with the victim (victim 1) who is less than 15-years-old according to the charges.
A child forensic interview was conducted at the Independence County Child Advocacy Center at which time victim 1 stated Powell had sexually assaulted the victim at his apartment and provided graphic details of the events which took place.
While Powell was having sex with the victim, a second victim (victim 2), who was present during the time frame Powell assaulted victim 1, also began to perform sexual acts on victim 1.
“Victim 1 made very detailed, graphic credible disclosures,” the affidavit stated. “By removing victim 1’s clothing and exposing the victim to not only himself, but to victim 2 as well, Powell inducted victim 1 into becoming part of a sexual performance.”
On May 15, Investigators with the Izard County Sheriff’s Office and the Arkansas State Police met with Powell at the Izard County Sheriff’s Office.
After being advised of his rights, Powell admitted to numerous acts of inappropriate and deviate sexual activity that he had engaged in with victim 1.
In speaking with officers, Powell would reveal more and more detail as the conversation continued.
Following the interview, Powell was detained and placed on an investigative hold. Powell became both passively and actively resistant to being placed in hand restraints resulting in multiple officers’ assistance in restraining him.
Once at the detention center, Powell began inquiring why he was being detained and when confronted by investigators about the statements he had made moments prior about engaging in sexually deviate activity with a minor, “Powell exclaimed that it was ‘only once’.”
The details Powell had provided authorities with closely matched that of the information provided by victim 1 during the forensic interview.
The investigation is still ongoing and more charges may be added.
As of May 19, Powell faces two counts of rape, class Y felonies; three counts of sexual assault in the second degree, class B felonies; one count employing or consenting to the use of a child in a sexual performance, a class C felony; two counts sexual indecency with a child, class D felonies and one count refusal to submit to arrest, a class B misdemeanor.
Bond for Powell has been set at $500,000.
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