A 32-year-old Searcy man has asked to plead innocent to rape and sexual assault charges on allegations that he abused two children.
James Harris faces one count of rape and multiple counts of sexual assault, all felonies, the filings show. He waived his right to an arraignment and asked the court to enter his plea of innocent to all charges.
An arrest warrant against Harris was issued July 24 following an investigation by Searcy police, filings show.
A pre-teen girl told a family member June 15 that Harris touched her inappropriately several times and that he had sexually assaulted her, according to an arrest affidavit signed by Sgt. Todd DeWitt, a Searcy police detective.
Authorities later interviewed the girl at the White County Child Safety Center, the affidavit says.
She said her first memory of Harris assaulting her was when she was about 4 years old, according to DeWitt's affidavit.
A second alleged victim, now a 22-year-old woman, told Searcy police on June 22 that Harris raped her when she was 13 to 14 years old, the affidavit says.
Harris is formally charged with violations on or about May 1, 2010 and Sept. 30, 2013 through 2019, court filings show.
Attorney John Wesley Hall of Little Rock enrolled as Harris' attorney on Monday.
"He denies everything, and we're probably going to have to go to trial," Hall said.
The Daily Citizen newspaper in Searcy first reported on Harris' arrest, including that Harris was scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday morning, the online court docket did not show Harris having entered a plea.
Harris was booked July 28 and released the following day after posting a $100,000 bond, jail records show.
Deputy prosecuting attorney Norene Smith was in court and did not respond to a message left at her office Tuesday.
If convicted on the rape charge, a Class Y felony, Harris would face between 10 to 40 years or life, according to Arkansas law.