Riley T. Carter, a former Aberdeen city councilor arrested last week and charged with first-degree rape of a child, was arraigned Monday morning in Grays Harbor Superior Court.

Judge Katherine Svoboda presided over the hearing, while Carter appeared electronically from Grays Harbor County Jail.

Initial dates of a readiness hearing on Sept. 16 and a jury trial on Sept. 24 have been scheduled, but these are subject to change. The court entered an initial plea of not guilty for Carter, Svoboda said.

Carter was arrested late Tuesday evening by the Aberdeen Police Department after a witness contacted police with allegations of sexual assault of a child, The Daily World previously reported. Aberdeen police located him and arrested him during a traffic stop around 8:30 p.m. on July 30.

The Grays Harbor County Sheriff took the lead in the investigation to avoid any possible conflict with Carter’s status as a city councilor. During an interview, Carter detailed an extended and involved history of sexual assault against a child under the age of 12, court documents state.

Carter was previously arrested for domestic violence — assault in January. Carter is required to surrender any firearms, vacate his residence, give up his passport, and have no contact with involved parties, with bail set at $150,000, according to the pretrial conditions.

In an email late Friday to local media, Aberdeen City Administrator Ruth Clemens stated that Carter had resigned from his city council position, effective immediately. The city council will discuss filling the Ward 5, Position 9 seat during their meeting scheduled for Wednesday of next week. Carter took the seat in January in the most recent election.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or michael.lockett@thedailyworld.com.