A Hot Springs woman and her boyfriend who were arrested Aug. 12 for allegedly abusing her 4-year-old daughter, including zip-tying the child to furniture, pleaded not guilty to battery and abuse charges Tuesday morning in Garland County District Court.
Jennifer Diane Denen, 30, and her live-in boyfriend, Clarence Eugene Reed, 47, are set to appear again in district court on Sept. 27 for a felony review hearing. The bond for each of them was lowered Tuesday from $500,000 to $100,000, but they both remained in custody.
The case is expected to be bound over to Garland County Circuit Court within the next 30 days.
Denen and Reed, who both list a Cones Road address, were taken into custody shortly after 3 p.m. Aug. 12 and each charged with felony counts of first-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and permitting abuse of a minor and first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, each punishable by up to six years.
Garland County District Court Judge David Switzer issued a gag order limiting pretrial publicity, preventing law enforcement and court officials from discussing the case.
According to the Hot Springs police report, officers responded to the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center after Arkansas Department of Human Services workers and center employees examined the 4-year-old girl and determined she had been abused.
She had deep purple bruising on her bottom, lower back and legs; a black eye; a swollen right cheek; a bruise on her forehead; healing scars across her back; and dried blood in the corner of her mouth. The girl also had ligature marks on her wrists indicating she had been restrained, and appeared to be malnourished.
Reed allegedly used zip ties to secure the child to her bed after she was observed climbing the cabinets in the kitchen, and regularly referred to her as "idiot." Denen said another child in the residence had told her that Reed had also zip-tied the child to a chair.
When officers asked the girl her name, she reportedly responded "idiot." Reed told investigators he did refer to the child as "idiot," but claimed it was only as a joke.
An article about the case published in The Sentinel-Record on Aug. 16 led to an outpouring of comments on the newspaper's website concerning the welfare of the child from across the nation, from readers who wanted either to adopt the child or to donate cash or toys.
Arkansas Department of Human Services officials told the newspaper last week that people wishing to donate to the child and her siblings could donate to local child advocates, but they could not guarantee the donations would go to this specific case.
"I live in Nashville, Tenn., and was wondering if there is any sort of fund I can contribute to for the abused 4-year-old girl who thought her name was Idiot. I cannot get this little angel off my mind and feel the need to help, if possible. If not money, I can contribute clothes, shoes, food, whatever helps her know that she is important and matters in this world," said one message sent to the newspaper's website.
"My wife and I read online about a 4-year-old little girl, that had been physically and mentally abused. When CPS interviewed her. ... She thought her name was "idiot." The reason I write. ... Is we wanted to offer help to the little girl. If there is no place for her to go. ... We would gladly take her in for as long as needed. We live in Houston, my wife works for the county, and I am a middle school teacher and coach. We also have three boys. Please let me know if we can help," another message said.
Local on 08/24/2016