LITTLE ROCK — Lavaca Alderman Jack James, a former teacher, was arrested and charged with sex crimes involving minor male students.
According to documents filed in Sebastian County District Court in Greenwood, James was charged with one count of felony sexual indecency with a child, two counts of misdemeanor attempted sexual indecency with a child and one count of misdemeanor harassment.
James, 52, who was elected to the Lavaca City Council in 2010, was arrested Thursday afternoon by Barling police, who saw him driving and stopped him because they were aware of warrants issued for his arrest, Barling Police Chief Tracy Powell said Friday.
James was released Thursday afternoon on $8,000 bond, according to Sebastian County jail records.
“I’m innocent, and the truth will come out in the trial, and I will fight it as hard as I can,” James said Friday.
He said people in the area know his character and that he did not commit any crimes.
Lavaca School Superintendent Steve Rose said in a prepared statement Friday that the district received information about alleged acts by James and turned the information over to local authorities.
The investigation is being handled by the Arkansas State Police.
Rose said he could not remember Friday how many years James had worked for the school district, but that he retired at the end of the school year in May. His last assignment was as a social studies teacher in the district’s middle school, he said.
According to the charges, all four offenses occurred between Sept. 1, 2011, and May 1, 2012.
An affidavit by state police Special Agent Corey Mendenhall on the sexual indecency with a child charge states that James told one of the minor students in his classroom to show him his penis and the student complied.
On the two counts of attempted sexual indecency with a child, Mendenhall’s affidavit states that James asked two students who were younger than 15 to show him their penises, but they refused.
On the harassment charge, according to Mendenhall’s affidavit, James told a minor student in person and by telephone that he wanted to perform sexual acts with him.
Arkansas, Pages 20 on 09/01/2012