Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - A 43-year-old Newton County man has been arrested and charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes.

Mark Elton Wright of 450 Silver Willow Walk was arrested April 17 and taken to the Newton County Detention Center.

According to Investigator Sharron Stewart, Wright is alleged to have touched the 7-year-old daughter of his girlfriend inappropriately.

"She was, of course, sent to Scottish Rite for a forensic interview where she made the disclosure," Stewart said.

The incidents, which have allegedly been ongoing, began March 11. Stewart said the complaint against the man was originally made in Rockdale County by the mother of the victim, but the investigation was handed over to the NCSO as the alleged offender lives in Newton County. The woman and the child are not Covington residents.

In other crime news, a 16-year-old Newton High School student was arrested and charged with having weapons in a school safety zone and making terroristic threats Thursday afternoon.

According to NCSO spokesman Lt. Mark Mitchell, a 17-year-old female student reported that a male student had threatened her with an iron horseshoe.

Mitchell said the student contacted the school resource officer and said the offender made the threat while she was inside a classroom, reaching inside his book bag and retrieving the horseshoe.

"She said he made a threat that put her in fear for her personal safety," Mitchell said.

The reason the iron horseshoe can be considered a weapon is because Georgia law states that any "bludgeon-type" instrument can be considered a weapon.