FORT SMITH — A former Fort Smith School District custodian is charged with raping a child.
Jackie D. Freeman, 56, of Fort Smith was arrested July 1 on suspicion of rape involving a child under 14, Sebastian County jail records show.
He was formally charged the same day, according to Sebastian County Circuit Court records. The offense occurred between Sept. 1 and March 4, authorities state.
School Board documents for a March meeting show Freeman resigned for personal reasons effective March 6. He had been a custodian at Kimmons Middle School.
An accuser called 911 on March 4 to report to police Freeman had just performed a sex act on the individual at Freeman’s home, according to a Fort Smith police arrest affidavit. Police went to the home and transported the accuser to the Hamilton Center for Child Advocacy in Fort Smith, the affidavit states.
The accuser said Freeman had forced both the accuser and another individual to perform a sex act on Freeman and said Freeman had performed the sex act on the accuser “on multiple occasions,” according to the affidavit.
A DNA sample voluntarily given by Freeman matched a DNA swab taken from the accuser as part of a sexual assault exam, the affidavit states.
Freeman remained in the jail on Tuesday in lieu of $250,000 bond, jail records show, and is scheduled for a first court appearance Wednesday morning.
Penny Weaver
Penny Weaver covers crime, law enforcement, court proceedings and more for the River Valley Democrat-Gazette. She is a longtime journalist who has worked as a reporter/photographer, columnist and editor at daily and niche newspapers in Illinois, Georgia, Texas and Arkansas. Penny has reported on everything from national civil rights issues to hog farming, homicide cases, state and local government and more. She enjoys investigative journalism in particular.
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