Bestiality, child rape - Garfield, AR

Friday, Mar 25, 2011

County: Benton

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Thomas Patrick Carr

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Thomas Carr has been charged with two counts of rape, two counts of producing, directing or promoting a sexual performance by a child and one count of bestiality.

"It was shocking, and out of the three years I've been at the sheriff's office, I've never dealt with anything like this, nor have I heard of anything like this in the details of this case," said Benton County Sheriff's Office investigator Kenneth Paul.

Investigators said the animal involved in the case was a dog.

"He confessed that for a while he's had a fascination with animals. And he confessed to that charge. So that's why he was charged with one count of bestiality," Paul said.

Police said the victims are now safe.

40/29 Reporter Lauren Limerick went to the Carr residence but no one answered the door.

She did speak with a neighbor, who, when asked her if she knew Carr family, said, "I'm a part of it. Goodbye."

"One of the scary things about something like this, is you just never know," says Paul.

Carr is being held at the Benton County Jail.

"The judicial system will take care of it. They'll handle it accordingly," said neighbor Ray Edwards.

Investigators also said other arrests related to this case are likely.

Anyone who wants to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child should call the Arkansas Child Abuse Hot Line at 1-800-482-5964.

Case Updates

A Benton county man is behind bars, accused of raping two girls 5 and 7 years old and forcing them to perform sex acts with an animal. That man, 29-year-old Thomas Carr of Garfield, was arrested Friday and remains in the Benton County Jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond. Tuesday afternoon, KARK learned his wife Christy Carr will be charged with permitting the abuse of a minor. "This could have been prevented two or three years ago, " says Kenneth Paul, an investigator with the Benton County Sheriff's Office Horrific accounts of child sexual abuse that didn't come to light until last week. Benton county sheriff's deputies arrested Thomas Carr after reports he raped two young girls and forced them to perform sexual acts on a dog. Investigators say Carr later admitted to them that the abuse had been going on for at least two years. That's why children's advocates like Natalie Tibbs with the Children's Advocacy Center in Rogers say reporting an abuse case is a must. Tibss says "This may be that child's only chance, this may be yours as an adult, your only chance to save that child for any other abuse." Bentonville High school counselor Jennifer Kelley says the signs of abuse are there. "Suddenly their grades start dropping, some students begin to withdrawal," says Kelley. Other signs include personality changes like acting out. Whatever the signs Tibbs says erring on the side of caution is the responsibility of all adults. Investigators say three children have been placed in state custody as a result of this case. You can always anonymously report child abuse round the clock by by calling the hotline at 1-800-482-5964.

Source: arkansasmatters.com - Mar 29, 2011 Update posted on Mar 30, 2011 - 11:40PM

References

• 
  « More cases in Benton County, AR

  Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.
  
  For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.