Former Eastview man charged with rape

A former Eastview resident faces three counts of first-degree rape after police said he had forcible intercourse with a girl younger than 12.

SMITH

Sherman Smith, 67, fled Kentucky after allegations were reported to police, said Norman Chaffins, spokesman for Kentucky State Police Post 4 in Elizabethtown. Smith was arrested in September in Texas.

Greg Lowe, spokesman for the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, said officials transported Smith from Taylor County, Texas, to Hardin County Detention Center, where he was lodged Monday night.

Chaffins said the girl reported the activity to her mother. From there, social services and state police were contacted.

During police interviews, the child was able to recall three incidents over a period of two years, Chaffins said.

According to an arrest warrant issued Aug. 28, the exact dates of the alleged forcible contact are unknown. However, Chaffins said she was under the age of 12 at the time.

The warrant indicates Smith and the girl are relatives.

Smith allegedly admitted to the acts during a phone conversation with the child’s mother, according to the warrant.

When Smith was arrested in September in Texas, he refused extradition, Chaffins said, which caused a lapse between the time of his arrest and transport to Hardin County. State police had to obtain a governor’s warrant before Smith could be transported, he said.

Smith is lodged at the detention center in lieu of a $50,000 cash bond.

He was arraigned Tuesday via video feed in Hardin District Court and is scheduled to appear Nov. 21 for a preliminary hearing.

According to Kentucky Revised Statutes, first-degree rape is a Class A felony when the offense involves a child younger than 12. If convicted, Smith faces 20 to 50 years or life imprisonment.

Sarah Bennett can be reached at (270) 505-1750 or sbennett@thenewsenterprise.com.