BENTONVILLE -- A former employee for the state Department of Human Services is free on $75,000 bond after his arrest last week in the sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl in 2015.
Jorge Alcon, 70, was arrested on a charge of sexual assault in the second degree, a Class B felony, which is punishable by a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years. Prosecutors have not filed a formal charge against Alcon.
He was released March 29 from the Benton County jail.
Alcon was a program assistant for DHS and provided transportation and supervision for the girl's visitations, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Bentonville police began investigating the case October 2015, after the girl told her foster parents that she did not want to go on her visitations because she did not want to see Alcon, according to the affidavit. The girl was interviewed at the Children's Advocacy Center of Benton County, where she described being abused by Alcon, the affidavit says.
Alcon was interviewed by police and described the girl as the aggressor of any contact between the two, according to the affidavit.
His arraignment is set for May 8.
Amy Webb, DHS spokesman, said Alcon was fired Oct. 27, 2015. Webb said he worked as a program assistant, which is responsible for transporting minors to appointments.
She said the department notified Bentonville police in October 2015 that a foster child had accused Alcon of sexually assaulting her.
Alcon was hired in 2000, and he passed federal and state background checks as well as checks of the child- and adult-maltreatment registries, Webb said. Alcon also underwent and passed periodic background checks, she said.
"He had no previous complaints of this nature since being hired," Webb said. "We were sickened to learn of such an allegation against one of the very employees who are supposed to make sure children in our foster care system are safe."
Metro on 04/04/2017