Bloomfield man faces charges in rape of fellow hospital patient

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Bloomfield, Mo., man charged with raping a fellow patient on the mental health unit at Three Rivers Healthcare-South Campus is in jail.

Benjamin Abraham Bivens, 20, was booked at the Butler County Jail this week on a warrant for forcible rape. His bond is set at $50,000.

Poplar Bluff police detective Jeff Rolland anticipates he and Butler County/Poplar Bluff Child Abuse Detective Tonya Pride were to interview Bivens about the allegations.

According to the complaint filed with the court, on March 18, Bivens reportedly had forced sexual intercourse with the victim.

Rolland filed an affidavit with the court March 19 after authorities learned of an alleged rape while the victim was a patient of the psychiatric ward of Three Rivers Healthcare-South Campus.

The victim said her attacker was also a patient of the mental health ward and allegedly identified Bivens from a photographic lineup as the person who raped her, Rolland's affidavit said.