WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A man arrested living under a false name in California has been sentenced to prison for a rape in Washington County in December 1994.
Court documents show that in January 1995, an arrest warrant was issued for Brett Camp accusing him of raping a 12-year-old boy. The case was investigated by the Fayetteville Police Department.
The warrant alleged that Camp, who was 29 years old at the time, was raping a boy on Dec. 18, 1994, when his mother returned home and saw them.
Investigators said Camp disappeared and wasn't arrested until August 2023 after he was found living in California under an assumed name, Gary Simon.
Kelly Cantrell with the Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) said that Camp's arrest came after investigators were researching warrants with violent charges in their system to add to their "Most Wanted" list when Camp's warrant from 28 years ago came up.
Before adding Camp to the list, Cantrell said two detectives did a follow-up investigation. According to Denis Dean, the deputy prosecutor in charge of Camp's case, the detectives reached out to a family member of Camp living out of state, who gave information that led them to find Camp living under a false identity in California.
Camp was arrested and taken to the LA County Jail on Aug. 24, 2023, Cantrell said. On Aug. 30, he was released from jail in LA County on the condition that he turn himself in to Washington County authorities.
Camp turned himself into the Washington County Detention Center a month later, in September 2023. He had a hearing the following day and posted a $200,000 cash bond.
Camp originally pleaded not guilty and was released. However, on Sept. 4, 2024, Camp changed his plea to guilty in order to avoid a trial, he changed his plea today to guilty and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. The judge in the case suspended 22 of those years, so he'll serve a total of 18 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction, Dean said.
Camp also has to register as a sex offender.
"The victim still resides in the state of Arkansas. He's doing well. He's now in his 40s. He's got a family. He's actually got grandchildren, and he's doing okay. He did say that there's not a day that goes by that he doesn't remember what happened to him and how this affects him, and he is happy to finally see justice," Dean said.
The attorney said he'd never handled a case this old, but said he wanted to make it clear that no matter the case, the county wouldn't stop pursuing justice. "We are not going to stop looking for you. If you've committed a crime in Washington County, we will find you and bring you to justice."
Camp will be transferred to the Washington County Sheriff's Office as he awaits a bed at the Department of Corrections. Dean said Camp won't be released to the public before he goes to serve his prison sentence.
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