A Rhea County sheriff's deputy arrested a man Monday morning for allegedly raping a young relative on Dayton Mountain.

The suspect took his 10-year-old victim to the Dayton Mountain residence where he was staying Sunday afternoon. The assault occurred while they were alone together at about 5 p.m. Sunday. The man then returned the girl to her Dayton home where he apologized and told the girl's mother he was going to check himself into the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute in Chattanooga, according to Deputy Rocky Potter who investigates crimes against children for the sheriff's department.

The mother took the girl to her grandmother's home in Graysville and called 911 at about 8:30 p.m.

Graysville Patrolman Greg Higgins answered the call and contacted Potter and Sgt. Cary Taylor with the sheriff's department since the assault allegedly occurred in the county.

While Potter met the daughter and mother at Rhea Medical Center, Taylor drove to the Dayton Mountain home and collected evidence there.

"Although he made her take a shower, we were able to collect enough evidence to corroborate her story," Potter said.

Potter put out an alert to surrounding police agencies to be on the lookout for the suspect at about 11 p.m. Sunday. Since the man had just moved to Rhea County from Trenton, Ga., about two weeks earlier, he also notified Georgia authorities.

At about 4 a.m. Monday, Potter received a call from a Red Bank police officer who told him the suspect had walked into the Erlanger Hospital North emergency room seeking treatment for self-inflicted cuts to his hands and arms. The police officer recognized the man's name from Potter's alert.

Taylor drove down to Erlanger North and arrested Randall Lee Cushen, 42, for rape of a child. When he was booked into the Rhea County Jail, Cushen gave a Birchwood address.

"I interviewed Mr. Cushen, and he gave a statement that corroborated the victim's statement," Potter said.

Cushen said he was under the influence of beer and cocaine at the time of the incident.

Potter said he contacted the Department of Children's Services Monday to arrange for a caseworker and counseling for the girl.

Cushen was to be arraigned in Rhea County General Sessions Court on Tuesday. He was being held in the Rhea County Jail without bond prior to arraignment.

Rape of a child is a Class A felony, which carries a sentence of 15-25 years in prison.

John Carpenter can be reached at jcarpenter@xtn.net.