RED BAY | Police arrested a Red Bay man on rape charges Tuesday after a child under the age of 14 was examined and treated at Red Bay Hospital.
Red Bay Police Chief Janna Jackson said officers questioned and then arrested John Howard Scott, 26, after the allegations came to light. Scott was charged with three counts of Rape 1st, two counts of Sodomy 1st, and one count of Sexual Abuse. He was held Tuesday at the Red Bay Police Department and booked Wednesday morning into the Franklin County Detention Center. Bond was set Wednesday at $200,000.
Jackson said the crime was reported Tuesday after a family member took the girl to the hospital for examination. Hospital officials notified the police department, which is standard procedure in the event of a suspected sexual assault. Jackson said the victim stated the events took place beginning around the end of October. Jackson also said that, when questioned, Scott confessed his guilt to investigators.
“It’s such a tragedy when things like this happen,” Jackson said. “We always encourage people to reach out for help. There are many resources available to help victims recover and deal with the trauma they have experienced. That’s one goal we aim for is to make sure the suspects are charged, and the victims are safe and get the resources they need to recover from such traumatic experiences.”
