HOT SPRINGS -- A woman accused in abuse involving her 4-year-old daughter, including zip-tying the girl to furniture, pleaded innocent to felony charges Tuesday in Garland County Circuit Court.
Jennifer Diane Denen, 30, of Hot Springs pleaded innocent to first-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and permitting child abuse of a minor and first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, each punishable by up to six years.
Denen, who lists no felony history, has remained in custody in lieu of bonds totaling $100,000 since her arrest Aug. 12. A hearing on the admissibility of statements she made to Hot Springs police is scheduled for Dec. 13. An order limiting pretrial publicity in the case was issued by Circuit Judge Marcia Hearnsberger on Oct. 3.
Denen's boyfriend, Clarence Eugene Reed, 47, who was arrested on the same charges, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday. He also remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of $100,000 bond. Denen and Reed were listed on the jail's online roster late Wednesday.
According to the affidavit, Hot Springs police officers responded Aug. 12 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.
The girl 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 and appeared to be malnourished, according to a police report.
It was noted in the report that when asked her name by police, the girl responded "idiot." Another child who lived at the residence told police the girl had been tied up at the house and had been called "idiot" rather than her name, the report said.
Denen and Reed were present at the center and were taken to the Police Department for questioning. Denen told detectives she had seen Reed strike the girl on her buttocks with a plastic bat, the report said. She also said another child in the home had told her that Reed tied the girl to a chair using a plastic zip-tie.
Denen admitted she did not seek medical care for the girl's injuries. She told detectives that Reed referred to the girl as "idiot" on a regular basis in her presence, according to the report.
Reed admitted to hitting the girl on the buttocks but said he used a wooden paddle that was approximately a half-inch thick, the report said. He also admitted he and Denen used zip-ties to secure the girl to the bed "after she was found climbing on the cabinets in the kitchen," according to the report.
Reed also admitted to calling the girl "idiot" but said he only did it "in jest," the report said.
State Desk on 10/13/2016