Ex-minister pleads no contest to child rape

By The Associated Press

CLARKSVILLE — A former church minister entered a no-contest plea Thursday to a charge of raping a child and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Jose Angel Banda, 48, who was a minister at the Clarksville Church of Christ, had originally faced five such charges, accusing him of assaulting five girls ages 4 to 9.

The other four charges were dropped after he entered his no-contest plea before Johnson County Circuit Judge James Kennedy and was then pronounced guilty by the judge, according to deputy prosecutor Bruce Wilson.

Clarksville police responded to a call in October to Johnson Regional Medical Center, where two girls had told hospital staff they were raped by Banda. Arkansas State Police began an investigation and interviewed other girls.

According to court filings and church attorney Michael Broyles, Banda was employed at the church from July 2002 to November 2007. Church officials placed Banda on administrative leave and relieved him of all ministerial duties Oct. 3 after police notified the church of the criminal investigation.

Wilson said the children's parents were present when Banda entered his plea, and told prosecutors they were pleased and relieved that their children would not have to testify in court.

Banda will be eligible for parole after serving 70 percent of his sentence, or 17 1/2 years. But Wilson said the families of the victims will probably object at that time to any early release.