A Roan Mountain man faces multiple charges after police say he confessed to sexually assaulting his young daughter.
Investigators of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested David Arthur Harmon, 45, of Roan Mountain, on Thursday and charged him with 13 counts of rape of a child and 13 counts of incest.
According to court records, on Thursday CCSO Deputy Paul Morrell responded to a home in Roan Mountain on a report of a domestic disturbance. When Morrell arrived on scene, a woman told the officer that Harmon had sexually assaulted their 7-year-old daughter.
“(Harmon) also told the deputy that he had done something to his daughter and wanted to confess,” CCSO Chief Investigator Randy Bowers said in the warrant for Harmon’s arrest. After speaking with Morrell, Harmon agreed to go to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office and speak with Bowers regarding the matter.
“During my interview with (Harmon), he admitted to sexually assaulting his 7-year-old daughter on a total of 13 separate times,” Bowers said, adding Harmon described what activity took place.
According to Bowers, Harmon said the sexual assaults took place during the past six months at his home in Roan Mountain and also at a location on Smalling Road in the Central community.
“After interviewing (Harmon) I spoke with the 7-year-old daughter and she corroborated the defendant’s statement,” Bowers said. “Both interviews were video recorded and placed in case file for evidence.”
Harmon appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court on Monday morning where he was arraigned on the 26 charges against him. Judge Keith Bowers Jr. appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent Harmon and allowed Assistant Public Defender Jim Lonon a chance to confer privately with his client before proceeding with the court appearance.
After speaking with his client and the District Attorney’s Office, Lonon requested Bowers to reset the case for about 30 days out to allow time for him to discover more information regarding the charges. Bowers granted that request and reset the case for August 30.
“I am not going to address bond at this time,” Lonon told Bowers, adding he may bring up the issue of bond at a later court date.
Currently, Harmon is being held at the Carter County Detention Center under a $400,000 bond. Bowers left that bond unchanged, but he did set some conditions for Harmon to follow should he be able to post bond.
“If for any reason you are able to make bond, you are to have no contact what so ever with the alleged victim,” Bowers told Harmon, who indicated he understood. “You are not to be within one mile of any county or city school.”