Joshua Chambers
Two area men accused in unrelated cases with having inappropriate sexual contact with teenage girls were each given 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges against them during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
Joshua Chambers of Mountain Home pled guilty to amended charges of second-degree sexual assault and incest, stemming from an incident that took place in early May last year and involved a close female relative. Brent Atherton of Bull Shoals entered a guilty plea to charges stemming from the attempted rape of a 17-year-old Mountain Home girl in mid-May last year.
The incident leading to Chambers’ arrest was initially reported to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office by the girl’s grandfather who is also her legal guardian.
The victim told investigators she had been at Wal Mart with her boyfriend and the boyfriend’s grandmother when she received a telephone call from the 39-year-old Chambers asking her to meet with him. The victim said she agreed and Chambers picked her up in the late afternoon at the store. She told investigators Chambers drove her to a remote residence she believed to have been in the Midway area.
She said when they entered the residence, they “walked straight to the bedroom” located in the rear of the house. The victim alleged Chambers “forced himself” on her.
About 10 days after the incident, Baxter County investigators learned Chambers had been arrested in Oregon County, Missouri, and one of them went to the Missouri jail to interview the suspect.
According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, Chambers has admitted arranging the meeting, picking the girl up, taking her to the residence in Midway and having inappropriate sexual contact with his female relative. Chambers initially denied forcing himself on the young girl and claims the sexual activity was the victim’s idea. At one point, Chambers is alleged to have told investigators he “knew it was wrong.”
Chambers has been in the Baxter County jail since June 30th last year.
In Atherton’s case, Judge John Putman sentenced him after he pled guilty to criminal attempt to commit rape, residential burglary, and second-degree sexual assault. He was charged with the attempted rape of a 17-year-old Mountain Home girl. The 46-year-old Atherton is alleged to have entered the home where the girl lived, gone to the bedroom where she was sleeping, placed himself on top of the girl and covered her mouth with his hands. The girl told police her attacker was nude.
The victim resisted and was able to remove Atherton’s hand from her mouth and scream for help. A family friend staying at the residence heard the scream and came to the girl’s aid. When confronted, Atherton fled the residence carrying some of his clothing.
Officers from the Mountain Home Police Department located Atherton running naked within a quarter mile of the residence where the attack took place. He was arrested without incident.
Atherton’s sentence was handed down by Judge Putman after a hearing in which Atherton, his mother and his attorney, Andrew Bailey, all asked the court to show mercy toward Atherton. He was described as having a “very traumatic” childhood, growing up without a father figure, getting into trouble and winding up in prison where he had been attacked by fellow inmates.
His mother said her son’s life had been a long, sad journey.
Atherton apologized to his victim, her family and the community for the acts he was charged with committing. He said he realized the victim and her family “did not ask to be put through all of this. I wish I could change it, but I can’t.”
Bailey told the court his client “understands he made a mistake and will be punished for it.” Bailey said Atherton had two children — a 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter — and hoped he would not be made to die in prison, but might be reunited with the children after serving his sentence. Bailey said those who used methamphetamine “do things they would not normally do.”
Fourteenth Judicial District Deputy Prosecutor Kerry Chism told the court that while he had sympathy for Atherton’s mother and his children, the court should remember that Atherton had “crept into the room where this 17-year-old girl was sleeping in the dead of night and attacked her. It was a creepy crime.”
Chism said he was more concerned over whether “this little girl can ever forget what happened” after she turned out her lights that night in May. Chism recommended that Judge Putman sentence Atherton to 45 years in prison. Chism said Atherton had already served time in prison for sex-related crimes in Oklahoma.
In sentencing Atherton, Judge Putman said “you have impulses you don’t seem able to control, something inside of you that can’t be controlled.” He said while Atherton appeared to be sorry for his crimes, “what you did is somebody’s very real nightmare and with you free and unable to control your urges, the community is not safe.” Atherton will do 100 percent of his prison sentence.
Brent Atherton
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