Rape Charges Against Springdale Man Dropped

FAYETTEVILLE -- Felony charges against a Springdale man accused of raping a 9-year-old girl were dropped after the girl and her mother recanted their stories, prosecutors said.

Scotty Lee Ratliff, 28, was arrested in January and charged with rape and sexual indecency with a child.

The girl told deputies Ratliff raped her when she was 7 or 8 years old while she was living in Arizona and Springdale, according to an arrest affidavit. She said it stopped for about a year after Ratliff's wife caught him, according to the report.

The girl told investigators at the Children's Safety Center that Ratliff sodomized her, forced her to perform sex acts on him and masturbated in front of her about 30 times, according to the report.

She said at least 10 of the rapes happened in Arizona and the last time was in Springdale, according to the report.

Ratliff had been set for trial Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court.

NW News on 03/15/2014

Upcoming Events