DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – A man who police said sexually assaulted a child in Decatur and battered her pleaded not guilty in court.
Clarence A. Ballard, 47, entered his plea Wednesday. According to sworn statements, he is a family acquaintance of a child who he had in his car on Feb. 1. He’s accused of snorting a substance, trying to make child take some of it and then taking her to Sandy’s Motel (1675 E. Pershing Road).
Police said Ballard asked for a room “in the back” and took the child there. They said he hit the child on the head with his hand and tried to strangle her while on the way to the room, then sexually assaulted her in the motel room while recording it on his cell phone.
The young girl was able to run from the motel room at one point and flag down a female driver, detectives said, before Ballard approached and took her back with him. Authorities are looking for that driver, who is believed to have been a witness.
Officers said Ballard and the child left the motel and went to a wooded area. During the drive, Ballard is accused of threatening to kill the victim when she said she was going to call police.
The girl managed to run into the woods to get away from Ballard, statements said, before flagging down a car in the area of North Summit Avenue and Trump Hill Lane. Police were contacted and a family member picked her up.
Ballard will be in court for a pre-trial hearing at 1:30 p.m. on April 13.
