KEY POINTS
- The 33-year-old man is accused of raping a girl under the age of 16 at Swift-Cantrell Park in Kennesaw, Georgia
- He allegedly threatened to hurt the girl if she did not follow him into the men’s restroom
- The man has been convicted of several crimes prior to the alleged rape, including impersonating an officer in 2019
A 33-year-old man in Georgia was arrested this week after he allegedly raped a young girl inside a restroom at a public park on Mother’s Day.
Austin Stovall, of Woodstock, is accused of raping a girl under the age of 16 at Swift-Cantrell Park in Kennesaw, Georgia, on May 8, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reported.
He was charged with rape, aggravated sexual battery, child molestation, false imprisonment, kidnapping and cruelty to children in the first degree, according to a statement from the Kennesaw Police Department.
Stovall allegedly called the unnamed girl over to his car and said that he would “hurt her” if she didn’t follow him into the men’s restroom, according to the arrest warrant cited by AJC.
After she entered the restroom, Stovall allegedly stopped her from being able to leave and raped the girl, said the warrant, which did not disclose the girl’s age.
“First, my thoughts are with the victim and their family following this egregious incident,” Kennesaw Police Chief William Westenberger said in the statement. “This is something that no juvenile should ever have to experience.”
The incident was the first attack of its kind to ever occur inside the popular park located outside Atlanta, according to Westenberger.
“We take our oath to protect and serve very seriously,” the police chief added. “The suspect was identified, apprehended and will now be held accountable for his actions.”
Stovall was homeless, according to Cobb County jail records. He also has a long criminal history that includes multiple convictions and prison time.
In July 2021, Stovall was arrested in Cherokee County and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, obstruction and other offenses, according to online records.
He was also arrested in 2019 for impersonating a police officer and making terroristic threats.
In April that year, Stovall was found passed out without pants in the driver’s seat of an idling Chevrolet Tahoe, according to an incident report filed by Kennesaw police. An officer woke him up and smelled marijuana coming from the SUV, so he pulled Stovall from the car and detained him in handcuffs.
Body camera footage of the incident showed Stovall threatening officers and claiming to be a DeKalb County police officer. However, the DeKalb County Police Department confirmed that he was not employed by the department.
Stovall pleaded guilty to impersonating an officer and obstruction and was sentenced to two years behind bars, Cobb court records showed.
As of Friday, Stovall remains without bond after being booked into the Cobb Adult Detention Center. It is unclear if he has legal representation who can comment on his behalf.
