Officers investigating possible rape of 8-year-old Rockford girl

By Mark Boxley
of The Daily Times Staff

Blount County Sheriff's deputies and detectives responded late Wednesday to the possible rape of an 8-year-old girl who was found in the woods behind her Rockford home.

The discovery of the girl — who was not named by authorities — was reported to authorities at 11:40 p.m., and members of the BCSO Criminal Investigation Division were on the scene past 2:30 a.m.

Half-a-dozen Blount County Sheriff's vehicles were seen lining the street adjacent to the residence during the early morning hours Thursday as investigators worked to process the scene around the girl's home.

The case is still part of an active investigation and no information was available from the sheriff's office as to why the girl was outside her home so close to midnight, or how she ended up in the woods.

Blount County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Marian O'Brient confirmed Thursday that the 8-year-old was taken to East Tennessee Children's Hospital after the incident -- which is common practice in a case of this nature, she said. According to O'Brient, the girl did not suffer any serious injuries and was released from the hospital.

As of Thursday, no one had been arrested or charged in conjunction with the possible rape.

Anyone with information pertaining to the incident is encouraged to call the Blount County Sheriff's Office crime hot line at 273-5200.