HOT SPRINGS -- A Hot Springs man was arrested Monday in White Hall on three counts of rape after authorities said a 13-year-old girl reported that he had sex with her three times at his Hot Springs home, according to a probable-cause affidavit released Tuesday by the Garland County sheriff's office.
Andrew Jackson, 28, was held at the Garland County jail Tuesday evening. Information about a bail amount for Jackson wasn't provided by jail staff late Tuesday, and authorities didn't say why Jackson was arrested in White Hall.
Jefferson County jail officials said they had no record of Jackson being booked there. Messages left for Jefferson County sheriff's office spokesman Maj. Lafayette Woods Jr. and Garland County sheriff's office investigator Scott Hinojosa were not immediately returned Tuesday.
An arrest report lists Jackson's employer as the Lake Hamilton School District.
According to the probable-cause affidavit, the girl told Garland County investigators that she would often spend the night at Jackson's home and sleep in the living room on a sectional sofa with Jackson and his wife.
The girl told investigators that she and Jackson first had sex a week before school started in August, describing "that this took place on the sectional in Jackson's living room while his wife was asleep on the other section," the affidavit said.
The girl then told investigators that she and Jackson had sex two more times at his home, once in September and another time in October, according to the affidavit.
Jackson told investigators that the girl "often spent the night at his house [and] confirmed that he, his wife, and [the girl] would sleep in the living room on sections of the sofa. He denied ... the accusations and insisted that only his relationship with her was that of youth pastor," the affidavit said.
Neither the arrest report nor the probable cause affidavit listed a church affiliation for Jackson.
The affidavit also notes that investigators saw "inappropriate text messages extracted from [the girl's] phone between her and Jackson. The messages indicate Jackson has much more than a youth pastor relationship with [the girl]."
The texts include Jackson making comments such as, "I love you so much," and "I missed you this weekend terribly," the affidavit said, noting that other texts from Jackson to the girl stated, "I'm sorry I can't be with you," and "I absolutely loved getting to lay with you last night and you basically falling sleep in my arms. I've missed that."
State Desk on 12/24/2014