A 22-year-old Texarkana man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for raping a girl who was 6 or 7 when the abuse began.
Quayvon Kentrell Peoples was convicted of two counts of rape and acquitted of one by a jury of seven women and five men.
The jury heard a full day of testimony Wednesday. Thursday morning they heard instructions from Miller County Circuit Judge Brent Haltom concerning the law they had to follow before hearing closing arguments from Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Connie Mitchell and Kristian Robertson and Peoples' defense lawyer, Bart Craytor of Texarkana.
On Wednesday, the victim, now 14, testified that she kept the abuse a secret for years because she didn't know how to talk about it. The girl said she finally told her mother because she feared something could happen to her younger sisters.
Peoples lived with the girl's family from 2006 until the allegations surfaced in May 2016.
The teen said she was so uncomfortable with the idea of telling that she waited until her mother and father were out of town cleaning out a recently deceased relative's home before texting her mother with the revelation.
The victim's 17-year-old brother took the stand Wednesday. He told the jury that when he was years younger, he twice walked into the bedroom he shared with Peoples and found him on top of his sister engaged in sexual conduct. He said he stayed silent because he was conflicted as to what to do.
"The State and the family are very pleased with the verdict," Mitchell said. "This victory will begin the healing process for the victim and her family."
Peoples was sentenced to 30 years on each of the two convictions. Haltom ordered the terms to run concurrently.
Peoples will have to serve about 21 years before he is eligible for parole.