LONOKE, Ark. (KTHV) - Robert Renner is back from Tennessee to face charges he sexually assaulted two teens. Renner bonded out on the first count with a $50,000 bond. The second set lower at $25,000. An alleged victims' mother speaks out to Today's THV and now fears what could happen next.
"It hurts, it's scary." This is the mother of an alleged rape victim. Today's THV is not releasing her identity to protect her daughter. "I'll protect myself and my children any way I can." Protect them from this man-she says Robert Renner raped her daughter in August.
Prosecutors charged Renner on December 12th. This family isn't the only one accusing him of rape. Renner is also charged with assaulting a 17 year old boy in a separate case. Lt. James Kulesa with the Lonoke County Sheriff's department says Renner worked at the Lonoke County Exceptional School doing odd jobs. Once the rape investigation started administrators fired him.
Lt.Kulesa says Renner lived close to the alleged girl victim, so he elected to move back home to Tennessee. Kulesa says the move is completely legal and that Renner notified investigators and prosecutors before he packed up. "When the second warrant came out for him, the Tennessee authorities located him in his residence and arrested him, he waived extradition and Tennessee officers met with our people at the state line where he was turned over to us," says Kulesa.
Renner had a court appearance Friday for second degree battery and his second rape charge. Prosecutors argued for Judge Sandy Huckabee to set the bond at $100,000. Ultimately Huckabee gave Renner a 25 thousand dollar bond. That's half of Renner's first bond for the rape charge on the girl.
We reached out to Judge Sandy Huckabee to find out why he set Renner's bond lower for his second rape charge. His assistant returned our calls and says he cannot comment, but thanks us for our interest. Renner will be tried separately in these cases.