Sixteenth Judicial District Circuit Judge Don McSpadden has placed a half-million-dollar bond on an Independence County man accused of two counts of rape.
Charges were filed Monday morning (Aug. 12) in circuit court against Thomas Duane Cody Kramer (pictured), 30. According to the affidavit of probable cause for arrest, authorities say Kramer twice engaged in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity with a child: once in 2009 and again in 2014, both times when the child was under the age of 12.
The information also said Kramer was a minister at a church in the southern part of Independence County at the time of the second rape charge against him.
The court documents said the Independence County Sheriff Department’s investigative unit began work on the case when it received an Arkansas State Police hotline report referencing sexual abuse.
The child said the sexual abuse started at a young age and continued throughout her childhood, and only stopped after she had begun her menstrual cycle, according to the affidavit.
Investigators in the case say Kramer was interviewed on two separate occasions, in April and again in May of this year. In those interviews Kramer denied any sexual contact with the child.
The investigators said Kramer insinuated that the child did “come on to him” in the past, but he “counseled her” about that. Investigators also noted Kramer was conducting Google searches for information about the child on March 15, 2019, prior to his first interview with detectives on April 23, 2019.
And the court record said as this case was being investigated by the Independence County Sheriff’s Department, the Cabot Police Department was also conducting a similar investigation of Kramer.
Kramer is now in custody and charged with two counts of rape, a Class Y felony.
Upon a conviction, a Class Y felony is punishable by imprisonment for not less than ten years or more than 40 years, or life, and a fine not exceeding $25,000 or a combination of both.
Get up-to-date local and regional news along with the latest sports and weather every weekday morning by listening to Gary B. and Ozark Newsline on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ. White River Now updates are also broadcast weekday mornings on 93 KZLE, Outlaw 106.5, and 99.5 Hits Now. If you have a news tip or event to promote, email White River Now at news@whiterivernow.com. Be sure to like and follow White River Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
