Jury finds Hughes guilty of raping 12-year-old

Ethan Thomas Hughes
aka Bradley Frazier

A Crittenden County Circuit Court Jury deliberated for almost two and a half hours Friday night before finding Ethan Thomas Hughes, 22, of Central City guilty of statutory rape.

Hughes impregnated a sixth-grade middle student in November 2008. Police learned about the situation and charged him in May of 2010 on one count of second-degree rape.

Hughes admitted on the stand to having sex with the 12-year-old girl, who no longer lives in Crittenden County. However, he testified that he thought she was 16, which is the age of consent in Kentucky. He was 19 at the time of the crime.

Following the verdict, Hughes had to be taken from the courtroom by officers because of outbursts and statements he made about the jury and the family of the victim. The jury's verdict came at almost 9 p.m., after a full-day of testimony.

The jury fixed his punishment at 10 years in prison.

The Crittenden Press printed edition will have details of the trial in next week's printed edition.