A Springdale man on Monday (Jan. 13) pleaded not guilty to charges that he raped and performed sexual acts on a young girl, records show.
Scotty Ratliff, 28, is charged with felony rape and sexual indecency with a child. At his arraignment on Monday (Jan. 13), he was given a March 14 date to appear in Washington County Circuit Court on the charges, records show.
Ratliff was arrested Jan. 8 and was released the same day from the Washington County Detention Center on $25,000 bond, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
A woman called Springdale police in November to report that she caught Ratliff naked with a young girl. She had caught him before in a similar situation previously, but had not mentioned it to police, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Washington County Circuit Court.
Child safety authorities interviewed the victim, who said Ratliff had raped her and performed sexual acts on her as many as 30 times in the past, police said. A forensic examination of the victim showed a past injury from the alleged rapes, according to the affidavit.
Based on the testimony of the woman and victim, an arrest warrant was issued Dec. 11 for Ratliff. He was later located and arrested by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
