Man charged with rape of child in Little River County

(Stock image)
(Stock image)

ASHDOWN, Ark. -- A Little River County man has been charged with rape of a child.

Stephen Cole Cheyne, 21, of Wilton, Arkansas, has been charged with one count of rape, according to records filed Wednesday in Little River County Circuit Court.

The Little River County Sheriff's Office took a report on April 16 from a woman who said her 4-year-old daughter had possibly been sexually assaulted.

The child was interviewed at the Texarkana Children's Advocacy Center and used dolls to demonstrate what happened to her, according to the affidavit. The child also identified Cheyne as the person who assaulted her, according to the arrest affidavit. Cheyne is the child's ex-stepfather, according to the affidavit.

The child allegedly said her 2-year-old sibling was in the home at the time of the assault but did not see anything, according to the affidavit.

Cheyne was booked into the Little River County jail on April 19 with bail set at $25,000. He bonded out on April 25, according to court records.

An arraignment is scheduled for June 20 in Little River Circuit Court with Judge Tom Cooper, according to court records.

Upon conviction, the charge of rape involving a minor carries a minimum of 25 years in prison.

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