Man accused of inappropriate contact with teen male enters not guilty plea

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Photo: David Allen Carleton

A Mountain Home man accused of inappropriately touching a 15-year-old autistic male, and then threatening the victim and his family, has now entered a not guilty plea to all the charges against him stemming from the incident.

It was announced during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday the attorney for 59-year-old David Allen Carleton has filed a waiver of arraignment to charges in the last two cases filed against his client and asked the court to enter not guilty pleas.

Carleton, who is a Low Level 2 registered sex offender, has been charged with fourth degree sexual assault, terroristic threatening and two counts of intimidating a witness.

Carleton was required to register based on a March 2008 conviction in Baxter County Circuit Court of possession of child pornography.

He is free on $15,000 bond and was ordered to reappear in circuit court Sept. 3.

The incident leading to the Mountain Home man’s charges was reported to have occurred in July, when Carleton and the 15-year-old victim were swimming in the Robinson Point Campground area.

The victim said Carleton had grabbed his “privates” very hard and the teen pushed him away.

The victim was interviewed at Grandma’s House Children’s Advocacy Center.

The victim alleges Carleton had bought toys for him and his brother. He said the older man had also taken the boys fishing.

He said Carleton had “tickled” him at one point and had tried to grab his privates on one other occasion.

During the interview, he reported Carleton had allegedly made threats directed at him.

The threats were reported to include shooting the teen while he was in his “fort,” a shed where the victim and his brother often played.

According to investigators, neither the victim nor his family knew Carleton was a registered sex offender.

And, there appears to be a valid reason for that.

In fact, a review of lists maintained at the county, city and state level, do not include Carleton.

According to law enforcement officials who deal with the registration process, this is because there are two categories of Level 2 offenders.

Public notification on a High Level 2 is allowed if it is felt necessary to protect the public.

However, public notification on a Low Level 2 offender – as Carleton is — is not permitted.

Public knowledge of the registration status changes when such information is made part of a criminal investigation.

According to the probable cause affidavit, when Carleton became aware an investigation into the alleged incident had been launched, he was reported to have confronted the complaining party and told her, “Payback time … you thought you got me but I got you.”

Carleton was said to have been laughing “maniacally,” while yelling at the woman.

Those involved in the case live next door to each other.

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