Ezekiel Kipfer (Photo courtesy of Izard County Sheriff’s Office)
An Izard County man accused of raping a minor has entered into a plea agreement with the 16th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Thirty-year-old Ezekiel Kipfer of the Melbourne area pled guilty to one Class Y felony count of rape during Wednesday’s session of Izard County Circuit Court in Melbourne, and Judge Tim Weaver sentenced him to 25 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
Kipfer was originally charged with two counts of rape and another felony count of second-degree sexual assault following a report received by the Izard County Sheriff’s Office on June 25. According to the probable cause affidavit, the incident involved a 13-year-old female at a residence in Melbourne. An adult at the house learned of the incident that afternoon and called law enforcement but Kipfer left before they arrived.
Kipfer was found at a house in Oxford the next morning and taken into custody. During questioning, he reportedly admitted to the rape. Kipfer told investigators he and the victim had engaged in sexually inappropriate conversations via cellphone for several days leading up to the incident.
As part of the plea agreement, the second rape count and the sexual assault charge were dismissed. Kipfer will be given credit for the 231 days he’s already been incarcerated. He will be required to pay all court costs and fees in installments of $100 per month and to register as a sex offender following his release from prison.
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