Paragould, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Paragould man is being held on a $250,000 cash/surety bond after police said a victim came forward to investigators this week to report alleged abuse occurring over several months.
On Feb. 24, Honorable Judge Curtis Hitt found probable cause to charge 48-year-old Walson Jekkar with three counts of sexual indecency with a child, a Class D felony.
The charges stem from a Feb. 23 report made to the Paragould Police Department by the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline regarding a child who had disclosed sexual abuse. That same day, an investigator with the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division interviewed the victim.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim detailed recurring sexual acts over the past few months, identifying Jekkar as the offender. The victim alleged that on multiple occasions, Jekkar had them commit sexual acts on him. A friend of the victim was also interviewed, confirming the victim had made a consistent disclosure to them previously.
Police noted that several other children were interviewed during the investigation and reported giving massages to Jekkar. The primary victim later told the investigator that Jekkar had questioned them about their disclosure to authorities, allegedly claiming the victim had “misunderstood” what happened. Two other children corroborated being present when Jekkar asked about the disclosure, though they could not provide specific details of the conversation.
Later on Feb. 23, the investigator conducted a Mirandized interview with Jekkar. While he admitted to having a conversation with the victim about the disclosure, Jekkar denied the abuse allegations.
Jekkar was booked into the Greene County Detention Center at 1:56 a.m. on Feb. 24.
In addition to setting a $250,000 bond, Hitt ordered Jekkar to have no contact with the victims and wear a GPS ankle monitor if released.
Editor’s Note: JRN has chosen not to publish certain details due to the graphic nature of the case.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic/sexual violence, call 800-656-HOPE (4673) to reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
UPDATE: An image from the jail roster was added after publication.
