Brookland Man Faces Possible Life Sentence for Alleged Rape

BROOKLAND, Ark. — A Brookland man is facing charges including two Class Y felonies on allegations of rape involving a victim under the age of 14.

The probable cause affidavit revealed the allegations, beginning on Feb. 23 when Officer Brittaney Lane assisted the Bono Police Department in locating a runaway juvenile – whose information we are withholding out of sensitivity to the alleged victim. Law enforcement was told the runaway was in the company of the suspect, Nicholas Andrews.

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Officer Lane attempted contact at the Andrews residence. The suspect’s grandmother reportedly told police that Andrews and a person, later identified as the alleged victim, were at a birthday party. The juvenile was located a short time later at a restaurant in Brookland. Officer Lane took custody of the alleged victim at this point.

The alleged victim described a terrible home life that included drug abuse by parents, among other concerns not specified in the affidavit. The Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline was notified.

Officer Lane returned to the Andrews residence to inform the grandmother of the suspect’s alleged actions. The affidavit said Andrews freely stated he had sex with the victim a couple of times.

The officer made contact with the alleged victim and obtained permission to speak to them. The affidavit says Andrews had contacted the juvenile and said he would get in trouble from their relationship for statutory rape. The juvenile confirmed sexual contact on multiple occasions, the affidavit said.

Andrews was located by Officer Lane and arrested on two counts of Rape of a Child Less Than 14 Years of Age. On Feb. 24, Detective Dustin Norwood attempted to interview Andrews, who requested a lawyer and declined to speak to police. The detective also added the Tampering with a Witness charge for the alleged calling of the victim and saying he would get in trouble for statutory rape if she said anything.

Nicholas Wayne Andrews, 19, of Brookland, was held on a $1 million temp bond before his bond hearing on Wednesday. During that hearing, Judge Tommy Fowler advised him he could have bond set but would need to waive his right to have an attorney present since there wasn’t a public defender in the courtroom. Andrews said he wanted to have a public defender present for his bond hearing, concluding the hearing. Judge Fowler withdrew the temp bond and ordered Andrews held without bond until he could appear before a circuit judge with a public defender present.

The defendant faces 10 to 40 years or life in prison on each of the Class Y felony charges and up to 6 years for the Class D felony charge. The affidavit includes a note that he was on probation. Court records show a guilty plea to first-degree criminal mischief in July 2024.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.