CAMDEN — According to papers filed in Ouachita County Circuit Court on Sept. 19, a Camden resident has been charged with the rape of a girl under the age of 14.
Marcus Dywette Morris, 39, of 832 Chestnut St. in Camden, was charged with rape of a young girl whom he believed to be his daughter at the time of the alleged crime. According to the probable cause affidavit, the female minor, now age 10, made allegations that Morris had sexual intercourse with her around two and a half to three years ago, sometime between April 2013 and March 2014. The report states that the mother of the victim believed Morris was the child’s father and allowed him unsupervised visitation around 10 times over the course of a few years when she was between the ages of five and seven.
The mother of the victim stated to detectives that visitation ended after a DNA test confirmed that he was not the father.
The investigation began after the alleged rape was reported to the Camden Police Department by the victim’s mother. She contacted the police after her nine-year-old daughter gave her a note which reportedly described an encounter with Morris, including his instructions to not tell her mother.
In the same note described in the affidavit, the victim stated: “I never understood what was really happening. So I never told anyone ever since. I never want to go to his house ever.”
According to the probable cause affidavit on file, CPD Detective Brian Finney took a report of the rape on June 11, 2016, and it was later determined that the crime occurred outside of the city limits, but still in Ouachita County.
The case files were then turned over to Ouachita County Sheriff Detective Nathan Greeley for investigation.
Kim Gill from the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children department was present during an interview on June 13, according to the affidavit on file.
During the interview, the victim did give more details about the rape in which it was reported that drawings were used for clarification purposes.
She also told investigators that what she was alleging had never happened with anyone other than Morris.
The arrest warrant for Morris states that during a video interview conducted by Greeley, the victim’s story did not change from the stories given to Finney or Gill.
A rape examination was conducted on June 17 at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Pine Bluff, and results showed healed injuries that are consistent with a traumatic injury and/or sexual conduct.
Morris was arrested and had his first appearance before Ouachita County Circuit Court Judge Hamilton Singleton on Aug. 1. During his appearance, he was determined to be indigent and that a public defender would be appointed as his attorney. Morris was granted bond in the amount of $100,000, which has not been paid. He is still in the custody of the Ouachita County Detention Complex.
His trial is scheduled for Oct. 10.
Morris is no stranger to the legal system, as public record shows a long list of arrests spanning from 1995 until the charge of rape on July 27, 2016. If convicted of the rape, which is a class Y felony, Morris could face 10-40 years, or life, in prison.