Marmaduke man charged with rape, sexual assault of child | Crime

A Marmaduke man is being held on a $1 million cash bond after investigators say he sexually assaulted a young girl.

According to Chief Steve Franks of the Marmaduke Police Department, 43-year-old Craig Bakkala is charged with two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault in the 4th degree.

On January 19 a report was filed with police regarding Bakkala “inappropriately touching a ten-year-old female,” Chief Franks said in a news release.

Officers executed a search warrant at Bakkala’s home and brought him to the station for questioning.

After his was read his Miranda rights, Chief Franks said Bakkala “admitted to officers that he had, in fact, attempted to have sexual intercourse on at least two separate occasions with the 10-year-old female” and admitted to performing oral sex on the child two times.

According to Chief Franks report, Bakkala said the acts took place over an 8-month period.

Bakkala was bound over to Circuit Court and is currently being held in the Greene County Jail on a $1 million cash bond.

Arkansas State Police and the Paragould Police Department assisted the Marmaduke Police Department in this investigation.