Man who assaulted, held woman prisoner gets 15 years in prison
A local parolee was sentenced to 15 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to battering and sexually assaulting a woman last year and holding her prisoner until she was finally able to escape.
John Colton Childs, 25, who has remained in custody since his arrest June 4, 2022, was initially charged with rape, but pleaded guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to felony charges of second-degree sexual assault, second-degree domestic battery, first-degree false imprisonment and aggravated assault on a family or household member and was sentenced to 25 years in prison with 10 years suspended.
Childs had been set to stand trial this week, but opted to plead guilty and Deputy Prosecutor Caitlin Bornhoft said Wednesday the plea deal was made with the victim’s approval. She also noted Childs was sentenced as a habitual offender with three prior felony convictions.
According to court records, Childs was previously convicted in Garland County on Aug. 14, 2018, of residential burglary and sentenced to five years in prison, but later paroled. He was convicted again on May 12, 2021, of theft by receiving of a firearm and possession of a firearm by certain persons and sentenced to six years in prison, but later paroled.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on June 4, 2022, shortly after 11:30 a.m., Hot Springs police were notified by the staff of Spa City Taxi Cab Service, 1300 Malvern Ave., that a woman was on their property asking for help.
Officers responded and found the woman “barefoot, injured and crying.” She told them a known suspect, identified as Childs, had kept her inside a residence on Drexel Street for the past two days during which he sexually assaulted her, repeatedly struck her all over her body, choked her, pushed her head against a wall, and broke her phone.
She said he told her, “I’m going to kill you if you leave,” but she was finally able to run out of the house while Childs was in another room.
Officers noted the woman
had redness and swelling around both eyes and near the bridge of her nose, swelling near her right temple and redness around her neck. She had a “large, circular bruise with red discoloration” on her right outer biceps and bruises and abrasions all over her arms and legs.
Officers located Childs a short time later in a backyard in the 100 block of Drexel, but he fled on foot, ignoring officers’ commands to stop. He was eventually apprehended, placed in custody and brought in for questioning.
After being read his rights, Childs told detectives he had smoked meth that morning and the victim had been staying with him at a residence on Drexel, but was supposed to leave that day. He claimed he kept her inside so she would not leave and go “to a drug house.”
He admitted to “getting into several altercations” with the victim over the last two days and that he “pushed” her on the neck, grabbed her arms, and threatened to harm her.
Officers noted Childs had several injuries to his person which he stated he caused himself, noting he “hits himself when angry.” He also admitted to breaking the victim’s phone at one point.
Childs was held on zero bond and pleaded not guilty to the charges on June 15 in Garland County District Court. The case was bound over to circuit court on July 29 and after several delays was set for trial this week.