VAN BUREN, Ark. — A Van Buren man has been found guilty of multiple counts of rape involving a child and has received six life sentences.
Milton Beltran, 49, received his sentence after three days of testimony in front of a Crawford County jury.
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Court filings say that Beltran was arrested on June 20, 2023, for 25 counts of rape. That was later amended on Aug. 22, 2024, to be one count of rape and five counts of rape involving a minor under 14 years old.
Beltran was found guilty by the jury on all six counts and sentenced to life in prison for each. The six life sentences will run consecutively, according to court documents.
An affidavit says that on Jan. 22, 2023, the Van Buren Police Department was dispatched to take a report from a 17-year-old who said she was raped repeatedly by the same man over the course of three years from the time she was 13.
The victim reported that the man began by sexually assaulting her when she was 11, and that the actions progressed into rape.
Crawford County Prosecutor Kevin Holmes took to Facebook to announce the conviction.
"After three days of intense testimony, Milton Beltran, age 49, of Van Buren, was convicted of six counts of rape involving his stepdaughter and was sentenced to 6 consecutive LIFE sentences in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. We are proud to bring justice for our victim who testified with courage and strength to put this pedophile where he belongs," Holmes said.
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