Man sentenced to probation for sex crime

Demontras C. Miller was sentenced to five years probation Tuesday in the First Division of the Union County Circuit Court, after pleading guilty to sexual indecency with a child.

Deputy Prosecutor Ryan Rainwater said the crime was discovered when a 15 year-old girl giving birth revealed that the father of her child was 20 years old. The girl told detectives that she had been in a sexual relationship with Miller since she was 14 years old and he was 19.

According to Arkansas code, someone over the age of 18 may not have sexual relations with someone under the age of 15.

Miller was sentenced to five years probation and 30 days in jail, to be served on weekends. He must pay court costs and fees, and must register as a sex offender for 15 years.

Rainwater said some leniency was extended due to Miller’s relationship with the girl. Miller said he had no prior felonies.

Steve R. Oliver was also in court for a sex offense — third degree sexual assault — along with an additional charge of terroristic threatening.

Oliver was offered a plea agreement that would have given him 20 years in prison for the sexual assault charge. He declined the offer and was given a second agreement to consider: two consecutive sixyear prison terms for the two charges, which he also declined.

Oliver faces five to 40 years in prison for the sexual assault charge. He could face between one year in jail or six years in prison for the terroristic threatening charge.

“You’re turning down 12 [years] and gambling with 55,” Judge Hamilton Singleton told Oliver.

“I’m not guilty,” Oliver replied.

Oliver will face trial for the charges later this month.

Tytiana Tidwell was sentenced to six years probation after pleading guilty to second degree domestic battery. Tidwell said she stabbed her significant other on Nov. 22, 2017. She said she stabbed him for “protection.”

The prosecution said the man’s injuries were severe enough to require a hospital stay. Tidwell will also have to attend anger management and Alcohol Chemical Treatment

Series, per the terms and conditions of her plea agreement.

Tidwell will return to court in November to discuss how much in restitution she will be required to pay.

Kevin Freeman was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for delivery of a controlled substance. Freeman pleaded guilty to delivering cocaine in an amount

under two grams as part of a plea agreement.

Freeman has previously been convicted of delivery of a controlled substance in 2011. According to previous News-Times reports, in 2011, Freeman pleaded guilty to two counts of delivery of crack cocaine in a plea agreement, in exchange for three additional counts of delivery of crack cocaine not being prosecuted.

Singleton said Freeman was charged with delivering under two grams of cocaine for $40 on Sept. 23, 2016.

He asked Freeman if he remembered the incident, to which Freeman answered no.

“But you don’t dispute it?” Singleton asked, with Freeman answering that that was correct.

He will have credit for 120 days served in the Union County jail. He was not charged as a habitual offender, as part of his plea agreement.