Crockett Man Arrested for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child

Victim Younger than Six Years of Age

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

 CROCKETT – A 39-year-old Crockett man has been arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, after an outcry was made by a victim younger than six years of age.

Martin Luther King was arrested on Oct. 18 after the mother of the victim confirmed what the victim had told authorities earlier in the month.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the victim spoke with Forensic Investigator (FI) RaeLynn Simpson and Crockett Police Department Detective Leea Price on the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 3.

“The first interview began at approximately 1:55 p.m. with the alleged victim in this case. (The victim) advised that ‘Martin did something to me,’ almost as soon as the FI – Raelynn Simpson – began talking to her. The FI had not asked any questions that would have prompted (the victim) to say this,” the affidavit stated.

As the interview continued, the victim informed Simpson and Price that King had pulled her panties and shorts down and then raised up one of her legs.

“She said her momma put her panties back on. At one point, she advised that her momma had seen Martin put her leg up and at another time, she said that her momma wasn’t in the room when this happened,” the affidavit reported.

While she was talking with Simpson and Price, the victim indicated her step-sister “… saw Martin doing this and told him to stop. Then, she said that (her step-sister) ran out of the room to get her mom.”

It was also reported in the affidavit when the FI asked the victim what King was wearing, the victim replied “… he didn’t have on any clothes. She (Simpson) then asked if Martin just looked at her or if he touched her and what he touched her with. She responded that he touched her with his hand.”

The victim was shown both a drawing of a girl as well as an anatomically correct doll. When asked where she had been touched by King, the victim indicated he touched her in the genital area on both the picture and the doll.

The victim’s mother was interviewed about the alleged incident on Oct. 16. On the night in question, the mother “…advised she had gotten out of bed to go use the restroom. She said that when she got out of bed, Martin had his clothes on and the two girls, were in bed with them. She said that when she came back in the room, she saw Martin with no clothes on and he was holding (the victim’s) leg in the air and (the victim) had no panties or pants on,” the probable cause document stated.

During the interview with Price, the mother indicated she grabbed a baseball bat and struck King with it, in attempt to stop the assault. The mother also stated she did not call the police initially because she was afraid she might get in trouble for assaulting King.

The mother also reported she had been drinking on the night of the alleged incident and was taking antidepressants “… which made her not think clearly to be able to contact law enforcement.”

King was apprehended on Oct. 18 and booked into custody on a single count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first degree felony.

According to Section 12.32 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the first degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for life or for any term of not more than 99 years or less than five years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the first degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”

King is held at the Houston County Jail and his bond has been set at $100,000.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

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