Malvern teen charged with sexual indecency involving 14-year-old
A Malvern teen was arrested Friday on a felony charge after allegedly having consensual sex with an underage girl who told her mother after wrongly thinking she was pregnant.
Matthew Avery Ealy, 19, who lists no prior criminal history, turned himself in at the Hot Springs Police Department shortly before 5:30 p.m. Friday after a warrant for sexual indecency with a child, punishable by up to six years in prison, was issued for him earlier in the day.
Ealy was later released on a $5,000 bond and is set to appear May 6 in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Feb. 23, Hot Springs police met with the mother of a 14-year-old girl who stated her daughter had told her she was possibly pregnant after having sex with a 19-yearold male, identified as Ealy.
It was later determined her daughter was not pregnant, but the mother found photos on her daughter’s cellphone allegedly sent by Ealy displaying his privates. She said she communicated with Ealy using her daughter’s phone.
A search warrant for the phone was obtained on March
11 and communications between the daughter and a contact listed as “Matty” were located. In the messages, “Matty” admitted responsibility for the unborn child, apologized for the situation, and stated he was going to the police station and “telling them it’s his fault.”
On April 8, Ealy voluntarily came to the police department and was questioned by Detective Thomas Plummer. Ealy, after being read his rights, reportedly admitted to sending and receiving nude photos of his privates and the victim’s nude body.
Ealy also reportedly admitted he was aware the victim was 14 when they had unprotected sex. He told police he “wanted to be there for his child” before he found out the juvenile was not actually pregnant.
Ealy reportedly gave a written statement corroborating all the statements he made during the interview. He was released at that time, but a warrant for his arrest was issued Friday and he turned himself in that same day.