A Hot Springs man was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to groping an 11-year-old girl in 2016 because he was physically attracted to her.
Milton Harvey Peebles III, 57, who has remained in custody in lieu of $50,000 bond since his arrest Aug. 16, 2017, was set to stand trial Wednesday but opted to plead guilty to second-degree sexual assault that morning and to allow a jury to decide his sentence.
After hearing testimony from the victim, her mother, the investigating Hot Springs police detective, Kenny May, and an analyst from the state crime lab, the nine-woman, three-man jury only deliberated about 15 minutes before recommending the maximum sentence of 20 years and a fine of $15,000.
Peebles also faces 67 felony counts of distributing, possessing or viewing of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but his attorney, Mark Fraiser, had filed a motion to sever the child pornography charges from the assault charge, which was granted by Judge John Homer Wright.
"I'm very proud of the victim," Chief Deputy Prosecutor Joe Graham said. "She was very brave and courageous in testifying. She wanted to testify. No offers were made in the case because she didn't want any offers made.
"She said she wanted to make sure he didn't do this to any other children. I believe based on the evidence and the testimony he would likely do this sort of thing again if he got out."
Graham said a trial date on the remaining child pornography counts has not been set yet. If convicted, Peebles could face up to 670 years in prison.
According to the affidavit, May spoke with the victim's mother on May 16, 2016, and she stated her daughter, who was 11 years old at the time, had disclosed to her that a known suspect, identified as Peebles, had been grabbing her buttocks while hugging her, in exchange for candy.
That same day, detectives spoke with Peebles at his residence and he admitted to purposely touching the girl's buttocks while hugging her. He told them he had developed a physical attraction to the young girl over the course of the four years he had known her.
Peebles also allegedly admitted to taking pictures of her in a bathing suit for the purpose of sexual self-gratification.
The exact date of sexual contact was unknown. The affidavit noted an extended amount of time elapsed between the victim's disclosure and the preparation of the warrant caused, in part, by May awaiting the return of forensic evidence from the crime lab.
Local on 05/03/2018