A Hot Springs woman arrested in 2015 for permitting the abuse of an 8-year-old girl and denying knowledge of the abuse to investigators pleaded guilty Monday to an amended felony charge.
Amanda Nichole Bennett, 26, pleaded guilty to hindering apprehension or prosecution, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and was sentenced to five years' probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $420 in court costs.
Her husband, Darius Bennett, 23, pleaded guilty on Feb. 21, 2017, to two counts of rape involving the victim and was sentenced to 25 years on each count, to run consecutively, for a total of 50 years in prison.
Amanda Bennett was arrested Nov. 5, 2015, on the original felony charge of permitting the abuse of a minor, also punishable by up to 20 years. The charge was amended to hindering apprehension on Aug. 15, 2017, and she was set to stand trial on March 21, 2018, after multiple continuances.
According to the affidavit, Hot Springs police received a third-party report on Aug. 16, 2015, about possible child sexual abuse at Bennett's residence. Amanda Bennett was reportedly aware of three years of sexual abuse to the child and failed to act.
During an interview on Aug. 26, 2015, she denied knowledge of any abuse, of anyone viewing the rape or the child informing her of the abuse. Later, the child was interviewed at the Cooper Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center, where she stated on multiple occasions Darius Bennett had raped her. She also stated that she had informed Amanda Bennett and she continued to permit Bennett to live at the house.
Following the arrest of her husband, Amanda Bennett admitted to being intentionally deceptive during her first interview. She said she had intended to steer the investigation toward another party instead of Darius Bennett because he made money to support the family.
She also admitted to knowledge of her mother walking in on Bennett raping the child which she later confronted him about, but she states she believed he would change through prayer and allowed him to stay in the house.
Local on 01/10/2018