Maumelle man sentenced to 13 years for 2019 rape in Little Rock


LITTLE ROCK -- A 25-year-old Maumelle man accused of raping a drunken girl at a New Year's Eve gathering in Little Rock has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by a Pulaski County jury that found him guilty as charged.

Court records show Nathaniel "Conner" Pinson was convicted of rape Wednesday following a two-day trial before Circuit Judge Karen Whatley. Rape is a Class Y felony that carries a potential life sentence with a minimum of 10 years.

According to police reports, Pinson was arrested in March 2020 following a two-month investigation after the 17-year-old girl and her mother made a middle-of-the-night trip to a hospital emergency room on New Year's Eve 2019.

The girl said she had been at her father's home, staying up after her parents had gone to bed. The girl said she had a glass of champagne to mark the holiday with her parents but didn't start drinking until after they'd gone to sleep.

The girl said she had Fireball Cinnamon Whisky provided by Pinson, with six others at the house, family and friends ranging in age from 17 to 20. Pinson was the oldest at 23. He will turn 26 in about two weeks.

After five shots of whisky, the room had started spinning so she went to her bedroom and laid down fully clothed, the girl told police. Someone came in, sat on the bed next to her and put his hand on her stomach, asking her to look at him.

The girl said she saw it was Pinson and had tried to roll away from him but couldn't, telling detectives, "I know I was drunk. When I closed my eyes I felt like I was still moving. I knew I was not in, like, the right place and mind."

She told police she wanted to bite him when he kissed her on the mouth but couldn't because she was so drunk.

"I remember actually looking into his eyes before he moved his lips to mine and that was a time I thought, bite," she said.

Pinson gripped her neck and held her down, asking her if she liked what he was doing before crudely telling her he wanted to have sexual intercourse before groping her genitals and raping her, according to the report.

The girl said she passed out as he raped her, awakening later and going to the hospital. His DNA was found on her clothing and body, the police report said.

Deputy prosecutor Justin Harper represented the state. Pinson's attorney was Pat Marshall of Benton.


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