Local man arrested on rape, sexual assault charges involving minors
A local man was arrested on rape and sexual assault charges Wednesday stemming from allegations involving two 13-year-old females in
2018 and 2019 that came to light in August 2019. William D’Angelo Pickney Jr., 25, who lists an Amity Road address, was taken into custody shortly before
2 p.m. on felony charges of rape, punishable by up to life in prison, and fourth-degree sexual assault, punishable by up six years in prison.
Pickney, who also had a warrant for failure to appear, was being held on zero bond and was set to appear Friday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the sexual assault charge, on Aug. 12, 2019, Hot Springs police detectives were made aware of a sexual offense that occurred at a residence in Hot Springs involving a minor female.
The reported victim was interviewed on Aug. 15, 2019, at the Cooper Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center and was 14 at that time. During the interview, the victim disclosed she had a 2-month-old child and the father of the child was Pickney, who was 23 at that time.
The victim stated she had told her mother Pickney was 17 when they first met because he “looks younger” and she had consensual sex with him in October 2018. She said Pickney “didn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to.”
According to the affidavit on the rape charge, on Aug. 14, 2019, a second victim was interviewed at Cooper Anthony who was 13 at that time. She stated she was visiting her cousin at a residence in Hot Springs when the father of her cousin’s baby, identified as Pickney, came by to see his child.
The victim noted Pickney had to be “snuck in” to the house so her cousin’s mother didn’t see him. At one point, her cousin went to the kitchen to make Pickney a sandwich leaving the victim with Pickney in the cousin’s bedroom.
While there, the victim states Pickney began raping her, but stopped when he heard her cousin coming back to the room.
Pickney left, but later that same night, he and the victim were “texting each other” and she agreed to meet him outside the apartment complex to “talk about what happened earlier.”
She said they were walking in the woods and at two different points they stopped and had sex again. She noted no protection was used at any time.
After further investigation into the incidents, warrants on both charges were issued for Pickney on March 11.