BENTONVILLE -- A 6-year-old girl sat in a witness chair Wednesday morning and testified against a man accused of sexually abusing her.
Several hours later, a jury found Chase Hallsted guilty of raping and sexually assaulting the girl. The crimes occurred when the girl was 5.
Hallsted, 27, was found guilty of rape and second-degree sexual assault, both felonies. The jury recommended that he be sentenced to 35 years in prison for rape and 20 years for sexual assault, with the sentences to be served consecutively.
Hallsted must serve at least 28 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. He also will be required to register as a sex offender. Hallsted faced from 25 to 40 years or life in prison for the rape conviction and five to 20 years for the sexual assault. Hallsted of Bella Vista was arrested April 19.
The girl identified body parts on a drawing when she was questioned Wednesday by Carly Marshall, deputy prosecutor.
The jury watched and listened to a interview recording Tuesday afternoon in which Hallsted admitted to engaging in sex acts with the child. Olin Rankin, a Benton County sheriff's detective, questioned Hallsted in the interview that lasted more than two hours.
Hallsted did not testify during the guilt and innocent phase of the trial. He took the witness stand for the sentencing phase.
He told jurors Wednesday afternoon that he had engaged in sex acts with the child but said he had blocked out many of the memories of it.
In response to a question from Kevin Lammers, one of his attorneys, who asked about his reasons for committing the abuse, Hallsted said: "I don't have an answer to that question."
"I'm sorry," Hallsted said. "I know it doesn't make any difference, but I'm sorry."
Marshall told jurors that the girl will never forget what Hallsted did to her. Marshall said Hallsted had given the girl a life sentence and that the girl will remember the abuse throughout her life.
Marshall asked jurors to impose a life sentence on Hallsted, but said if one or two jurors were unwilling to impose a life sentence she wanted a 40-year sentence for the rape and 20 years for the sexual assault.
"Give him a sentence that he gave to her," Marshall said.
Lammers told jurors that Hallsted is capable of rehabilitation and is still capable of "doing good things in the world." He told jurors the case did not merit a life sentence.
"Remember you are sentencing a person, not a crime," Lammers said.
State Desk on 12/09/2016