Hot Spring County deputies arrested a 21-year-old Malvern man accused of repeatedly raping a teen and threatening the victim's life, with the case landing him four rape counts along with assault and terroristic threatening charges. Ethan Jacob Bartlett was taken into custody on Monday.
According to the Malvern Daily Record, Bartlett faces four counts of rape, each a Class Y felony, along with one count of aggravated assault of a family or household member and one count of first-degree terroristic threatening, both Class D felonies. The newspaper reported that deputies arrested Bartlett on accusations of assaulting, raping and threatening the life of a minor.
Potential Sentences Bartlett Could Face
If convicted, Bartlett could face 10 to 40 years or life in prison on each individual rape charge, per the Malvern Daily Record's reporting. He could also face up to six years in prison on each of the two Class D felony counts if convicted. No information has been made available regarding Bartlett's bond, legal representation, plea, or an upcoming court date.
Hot Spring County's Sex-Crime Caseload in 2023
In a November 2023 report, Lieutenant Glen Pye told KARK that “there are between 10 to 15 open sex crime cases at the moment,” referring to the caseload at that time.
In a separate Hot Spring County case, deputies arrested 55-year-old Malvern resident Donald Davidson in late October 2023 on allegations involving sex crimes spanning four decades, the station reported. Davidson faces three counts of rape and three counts of second-degree sexual assault in Hot Spring County Circuit Court, with all three alleged rape victims reported to have been children under the age of 14 at the time of the potential crimes, which are said to have occurred between 1989 and 2011.
Davidson and Bartlett face charges in separate cases. No further details about the identity or age of the alleged victim in Bartlett's case, nor the circumstances or location of the alleged offenses, have been made public.
