Father Rapes His Infant Daughter

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Reginald Davis, 18, of Forrest City, AR, has been accused of raping his 8-day-old baby daughter. Police also charged him with second-degree battery, because the baby also suffered a fractured skull in the attack, which occurred on Labor Day, Sept. 1, 2008. He was sent to St. Francis County Jail. At his first court appearance, the following Wednesday, the judge, citing the severity of the crime, raised his bail from $50,000 to $100,000.

According to police Davis was visiting with the 15-year-old mother of his daughter. The mother went into the bathroom to take a shower before going to bed. When she came out she found blood on her newborn baby. The girl and her family, accompanied by Davis, took the baby to Forrest City Medical Center where she was treated for rape and a fractured skull. The hospital also notified the police. It turned out that the little girl's injuries were so bad she was transferred to the Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. The police arrested Davis.

Investigators say that at the time of the attack, there were other people in the house. The case is still under investigation and it is unknown if any other arrests will be made. Reginald Davis, according to the police, has had no criminal record since turning 18. They could not comment on whether he had a juvenile record because that information could not be released under Arkansas state law.

Reginald Davis' mother said in a telephone interview that "he suffers from mental health issues." According to Dr. Allen Battle, a psychologist with the UT Medical group:

"Seeking a baby is extremely rare." He says "so many of the patience have been exposed to this behavior themselves. When they were kids in their formative stages."

According to the Children's Advocacy Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, recent reports of child sexual abuse is staggering:

• 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys have been abused, with the average age being 3-years-old


• 96% of the abusers are someone the child knows, loves and trusts
  


• 75 cases were reported in 2000, 471 cases were reported in 2007

Davis is being held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in circuit court on September 17.