Man accused of raping girl at a Kennesaw park

KENNESAW, Ga. (CBS46) - A man is in the Cobb County jail, accused of raping a girl at park in Kennesaw.

Austin Stovall is charged with rape, aggravated sexual battery, child molestation, false imprisonment, kidnapping and cruelty to children in the first degree.

According to a criminal warrant, Stovall raped a girl younger than 16 years old in a men’s restroom at Swift-Cantrell Park around 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 8. The warrant states Stovall called the girl over to his vehicle and told her he would hurt her if she didn’t follow him from his vehicle to the restroom. The warrant states he forced the child into the corner of the men’s restroom and raped her.

“A child deserves innocence and that was taken away from this person,” said Kennesaw Police Officer David Buchanan.

Buchanan said the department is increasing patrols in the park. While there are no working cameras in the park right now, he said the city was already in the process of installing cameras there.

“This is actually the first time this has happened so we want to ensure our citizens and anyone who visits our parks that this is rare, this is an anomaly, this has never happened before and we’re going to do our best to make sure it never happens again,” said Buchanan.

“This is the rarest of all rare occurrences and it is tragic but understand we are a safe city,” he added.

Multiple agencies worked together to arrest Stovall, who is in jail with no bond.

Kennesaw Police Chief William Westenberger released the following statement:

First, my thoughts are with the victim and their family following this egregious incident. This is something that no juvenile should ever have to experience.
To the Citizens of Kennesaw, this is the first incident like this to ever occur in Swift-Cantrell Park. We take our oath to protect and serve very seriously. The suspect was identified, apprehended, and will now be held accountable for his actions.
I would like to thank our officers and detectives for their swift response, thorough investigation, and securing the arrest warrant within 24 hours. I would like to thank Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, U.S. Marshal’s Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, for their relentless pursuit and arrest of the suspect.
I want you to know that your Kennesaw Police Department will remain vigilant and continue to keep our city, especially our parks, safe. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership with our police department. Please continue to report suspicious activity and partner with us to make Kennesaw the best city to live and work in.”
Kennesaw Police Chief William Westenberger