The case against a 29-year-old Arkansas man jailed here in Reno County for alleged inappropriate involvement with a 10-year-old child will proceed after a number of mental evaluations showed he is competent to stand trial.
Dustin Kennedy is charged with aggravated criminal sodomy or in the alternative aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The alleged crime occurring back on November 10, 2011. Both charges are Jessica’s Law counts, meaning if convicted on either count, the sentence would be life in prison with no chance of parole for 25-years. He can only be sentenced on one of the counts, not both since they are alternate counts to each other.
Kennedy was living with his girlfriend and was alone with her child when the alleged crime occurred. The child apparently told her mother and she then confronted Kennedy. He then went to the hospital and asked for help and that’s when police got involved.
Judge Joe McCarville set a preliminary hearing in the case for January 27.