A Rhea County, Tenn., couple has been charged in a child sexual abuse investigation.
Dustin Ault, 37, is charged with three counts of child rape, two counts of rape, two counts of sexual battery and five counts in relation to other sex crimes. His wife, 37-year-old Michala Ault, is charged with child endangerment and child abuse and neglect for allegedly having knowledge of the abuse but not reporting it, Rhea County Sheriff’s Office investigator Rocky Potter said.
“I’ve been working on the case for maybe a month, but it’s been happening for the past few years,” Potter said Thursday.
The victim told a friend’s mother and a school counselor and they both notified authorities, Potter said.
State Department of Children’s Services officials were notified and the victim was interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center in Chattanooga.