BENTONVILLE — A Bella Vista man was sentenced to 95 years for raping and sexually assaulting four children.
John Clifford Longnecker, 77, pleaded guilty Monday to three counts of rape, a Class Y felony; second-degree sexual assault, a Class B felony; 20 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a Class C felony; and four counts of engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual or print medium, a Class B felony. The plea was reached between Carly Marshall, deputy prosecutor, and Scott McElveen, Longnecker’s attorney.
Longnecker must serve more than 50 years in prison before he would be eligible for parole. He would be at least 127 years old by that time.
Longnecker admitted he engaged in sexual acts with the children and also filmed the crimes, according to court documents. He had the images on his computer. He also possessed other child pornography images, according to court documents.
Longnecker was sentenced to 25 years for each of the rape convictions. He was also sentenced to 20 years in prison for the sexual assault. The sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 95 years in prison. Longnecker also was sentenced to 20 years in prison on the other charges, but that sentence will be served concurrently with the other one.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
