Suspect in Gilbert child abuse case on the run after skipping court date

Police were searching for a man who allegedly missed a court hearing in a case in which he is accused of sexually abusing a child over a 10-year period.

Randall “Randy” Todd Arrington, 61, faces 15 charges related to charges in Gilbert involving molestation and sexual assault of a child under the age of 15 between July 2000 and July 2009, according to court records.

A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Superior Court told The Arizona Republic on Friday that Arrington had missed his most recent court appearance. According to court records, this was an Oct. 21 settlement conference, a meeting between the prosecution and defense aimed at reaching a resolution without a trial. A warrant for Arrington’s arrest was issued that same day.

Arrington admitted to sexually assaulting the child during a confrontation between him and the accuser, as captured during a recorded FaceTime call in early August 2023, according to charging documents filed the following month.

“I’m not that person that you’re describing, but I am, right? I’m all those things and it’s just – you don’t even know that prison – or what I’m going through because of it,” he said. the call, adding, “I’m just trying to tell you as I think about it, it was like, I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. It was more of a playful thing, I thought.”

Court documents describe multiple incidents in graphic detail, ranging from fondling to sexual assault. Arrington’s accuser recalled being described by him as “wild and crazy” after an assault, according to charging documents.

Court records show a grand jury indicted Arrington in October 2023. Documents from September 2023 stated that Arrington’s victim was afraid of him because he owned multiple firearms and was planning to move to Nevada.

According to court documents, Arrington, a Cave Creek resident, was arrested in the parking lot of his Mesa workshop, where he had worked for 35 years.

Arrington’s trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 15, according to court records.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Police are searching for a suspect in the Gilbert child abuse case