BENTONVILLE -- A 6-year-old girl sat in a witness chair and testified against her sexual abuser Wednesday morning.
Several hours later a jury found Chase Hallsted of Bella Vista guilty of raping and sexually assaulting the girl. The crimes occurred when the girl was 5.
Hallsted was found guilty of rape, a Class Y felony; and second-degree sexual assault, a Class B felony. The jury recommended Hallsted be sentenced to 35 years in prison for rape and 20 years in prison for sexual assault. The sentences will be served consecutively. Hallsted must serve at least 28 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. Hallsted also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Hallsted faced from 25 to 40 years or life for the rape conviction and five to 20 years for the sexual assault.
Hallsted, 27, was arrested April 19.
The girl identified body parts on a drawing when she was questioned Wednesday by Carly Marshall, deputy prosecutor.
The afternoon of Dec. 6, jurors watched and listened to a recorded interview where Hallsted admitted to engaging in sex acts with the child. Olin Rankin, a Benton County Sheriff's Office detective, questioned Hallsted for more than two hours.
Hallsted didn't testify during the guilt and innocent phase of the proceedings. He did take the witness stand for the sentencing phase.
On Dec. 7, Hallsted admitted to jurors that he had engaged in sex acts with the child. Hallsted claimed he had blocked out many of the memories.
"I don't have an answer to that question," Hallsted responded when Kevin Lammers, one of his attorneys, asked him about the reasons for committing the abuse.
"I'm sorry," Hallsted said. "I know it doesn't make any difference, but I'm sorry."
Marshall told jurors the girl will never forget what Hallsted did to her. Marshall said Hallsted had given the girl a life sentence and said the girl will remember the abuse throughout her life.
Marshall asked jurors to impose a life sentence, but said if one or two jurors were unwilling to impose a life sentence she wanted a 40-year sentence for rape and 20 years for sexual assault.
"Give him a sentence that he gave to her," Marshall said.
Lammers told jurors Hallsted is capable of rehabilitation and still capable of "doing good things in the world."
Lammers told jurors the case did not merit a life sentence. "Remember you are sentencing a person not a crime," Lammers said.
Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green told Hallsted he cannot have any contact with the victim. Green also ordered Hallsted not to have any unsupervised contact with any minors.
General News on 12/14/2016