Man arrested for sexual abuse of a child

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

Copperas Cove police arrested Heath Mitchum Sr., age 47, on Monday on an arrest warrant for continuous sexual abuse of a young child. 
On December 7, a report was made to the Copperas Cove police department after a 12-year-old girl told her mother about the abuse that started when she was around four years old. 
The CCPD then began an investigation, with the child having a medical forensic exam at McLane’s Children’s Hospital in Temple and being forensically interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Belton. 
As a result of the interviews, a warrant was sworn out on December 10 for his arrest. Mitchum is accused of sexually abusing the child about “5-6 times a week” since she was “3-4 years of age,” with the incidents occurring at a Copperas Cove home, another residence, and at a hotel. 
Mitchum was called by the investigating officer on December 12, who requested Mitchum come to the police department for an interview.
“Heath declined any interview advising he would need to seek council [sic] first.” 
At one point, Mitchum was in the Coryell County jail on a $40,000 bond, but as of Thursday morning was no longer listed on the jail’s roster.