Homeless Man Charged with Aggravated Rape of Two Children in Liberty

A 22 year old homeless man has been charged with the aggravated rape of two male children, ages 6 and 10 in Liberty
Sheriff Patrick Ray said Joshua Taylor Cook, who has been staying in Liberty, was arrested on Thursday, October 28th.
According to Sheriff Ray, Cook allegedly performed sexual acts on a six year old and a ten year old male child on Church Street in Liberty and then he allegedly had the two children perform sexual acts on him. These events allegedly took place on September 15th.
Cook is under a $100,000 bond and he will be in court on November 4th.
Meanwhile, in other county crime news, 18 year old Richard Lee Sloan of Douglas Avenue, Murfreesboro is charged with three counts of simple possession of a schedule II, III, and VI controlled substance.
On Tuesday, October 26th on Highway 70 in DeKalb County, a deputy assisted another officer on a traffic stop. The officer received consent to search from the owner of the vehicle and upon a pat down search of Sloan, the passenger, a bulge was found in his left front pocket. Sloan told the officer that the bulge was a cell phone. The officer checked and found the cell phone but also a plastic bag containing methamphetamine, two hydrocodone pills, and marijuana.
Sloan is under a $4,500 bond and his court date is November 4th.
31 year old Charles Barton Seals, Jr. of Old Smithville Highway, Sparta is charged with leaving the scene of an accident and disorderly conduct.
On Wednesday, October 27th, Seals was involved in an automobile accident on Sligo Bridge but left. He was stopped by an officer on Highway 70 in the city limits of Smithville, about five miles from the scene of the accident. Sheriff Ray said Seals was very loud, used vulgar language, and refused to comply with what the officer instructed him to do.
Seals is under a $3,000 bond and he will be in court on December 16th.
40 year old David Gerald Vanatta of Snow Street, Smithville, a prisoner in the DeKalb County Jail, is now charged with possession of prohibited weapons in a penal institution.
On Friday, October 29th, correctional officers at the jail were conducting a shake down. While searching Vanatta’s bed, two objects were found underneath the bunk behind the front rail, including a piece of metal 12 inches long and a piece of wood with a plastic spike sharpened on the end.
His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on November 18th.
36 year old Kevin E. Bowling, Jr. of Hillview Drive, Mount Juliet is charged with theft of property over $1,000. He is under a $5,000 bond and his court date is set for November 18th.
On Wednesday, October 27th, Bowling allegedly stole a 1958 Chevy pickup truck, valued at over $1,000 from a field on Dale Ridge Road. Bowling allegedly sold the truck at a salvage yard in Mount Juliet. The truck has been recovered.
Two people were charged with public intoxication on Friday, October 29th after an officer conducted a welfare check at their parked vehicle on Highway 70.
22 year old Matt Miller of High Springs, Florida was inside the car and 30 year old Kristy Lynn Blaylock of Knowles Street, Sparta was outside standing beside the car.
Sheriff Ray said when Miller got out of the vehicle, the officer noticed he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person. He was taken into custody. Miller’s bond is $1,000.
The deputy also discovered that Blaylock had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person. She was also unsteady on her feet. The officer tried to get her to call someone to pick her up but she refused. For her safety, Blaylock was carried to jail. Her bond is $1,000.
Miller and Blaylock will be in court on December 2nd.
30 year old Joshua Lionel Jones of Hodges Road, Smithville is charged with driving on a suspended license, felony evading arrest, and simple possession of a schedule III controlled substance.
On Saturday, October 30th, Jones was operating a motor vehicle on Miller Road in Smithville when an officer, who spotted Jones and had prior knowledge of his having a suspended drivers license, activated his emergency equipment signaling Jones to pull over. Jones instead accelerated and drove from Miller Road onto Anthony Avenue and then to the Wal-mart parking lot before stopping. Jones gave consent to search and the officer found on Jones, one and a half hydrocodone pills. A computer check confirmed that his license were suspended for failure to satisfy a citation on October 4th in Cannon County.
Jones’ bond totals $8,000 and he will be in court on November 4th.
50 year old Jeffrey Mark Gibbons of Baxter is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on December 2nd.
On October 30th, Gibbons was operating a motor vehicle at night with no lights on Highway 56. He had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was unsteady on his feet. Gibbons submitted to and performed poorly on one field sobriety task and refused to do any more. He did submit to a blood test.

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