Former chaplain charged with molesting girl enters plea

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A Summit man, 45-year-old Scotty Joe Scaggs, entered a not guilty plea in Marion County Circuit Court Wednesday morning to charges of sexual indecency with a child, rape, and sexual assault.The Administrative Office of the Courts CourtConnect website indicates the pretrial in the case before Circuit Judge John Putman is set for October 25.

Scaggs, who had been serving as a volunteer chaplain in the Marion County Jail, was charged with three felonies regarding accusations he molested a female, when she was seven years old, for a period of approximately five and one-half years.

Marion County Sheriff’s Captain and Chief Deputy William Batterton said at the time Scaggs was charged he was immediately suspended as chaplain.

According to the arrest affidavit in the case, on May 15th a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department was contacted by an investigator with the Crimes Against Children Division of the Arkansas State Police. The investigator said a report was taken regarding a juvenile female, along with several other children, who spent the night with Scaggs after a family get together. The victim said Scaggs made her take off her clothes and dance on a dresser. The victim also alleges Scaggs made her kiss his daughters and sleep in his bed, where he touched her inappropriately and made inappropriate comments.

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