Larry VaughnA 45-year-old Chattanooga man was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of child rape a year after the girl's mother reported the incident to police.
Larry Vaughn was picked up by Hamilton County Sheriff's Office detectives on Friday after reports showed his DNA was found in the child's clothing.
As of Friday, he remained in the Hamilton County Jail with a bond set at $400,000.
At the time of the Sept. 9, 2010, incident, Vaughn denied having had sex with the girl.
The incident took place while the girl, then 12, was on her way to school, the Chattanooga Police Department report stated.
A man known in the neighborhood as the "Candy Man" offered the girl candy and promised to take her to school, according to the report. Instead, officials say he took her to a residence in the 1900 block of Rawlings Street and raped her twice.
The mother found the girl on Rawlings, according to the report, and called police about 7:30 p.m.
Vaughn was picked up and questioned the same day. A rape kit was used and DNA sent to the state crime lab. Results showed Vaughn's DNA in the girl's underwear.
The report does not say how long it took for the results to be returned.
Chattanooga police spokeswoman Sgt. Jerri Weary did not respond Friday night to questions about why it took a year to arrest Vaughn.
Vaughn has a lengthy local criminal record, with more than 50 arrests on charges ranging from assault to theft, records show. He received a suspended four-year sentence in June 2010 for aggravated occupied burglary, according to court records.
His next court date is set for Sept. 27 in front of General Sessions Court Judge Ronald Durby.