ASP investigating after body found in water
PARAGOULD — A body is being sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for an autopsy to determine a cause of death after being discovered in the water near Lake Street at Eight Mile Creek Friday afternoon, according to Paragould police.
Details are limited, but officers responded to the scene around 1 p.m. to find the body of a man.
The case is still under investigation.
Anyone with information on the case can call Paragould police at 870-236-7621.
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PARAGOULD — A Greene County man is facing at least a half-dozen charges after Paragould police said he sexually assaulted two children.
Adam R. Harper, 34, of Paragould was arrested March 5 on suspicion of two counts of sexual assault in the second degree, two counts of sexual indecency with a child and two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree after an investigation by Paragould police.
According to police, the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline got a report March 3 about sexual abuse involving a 12year-old and an 8-year-old.
An Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children investigator later interviewed the two children, police said.
“The victims disclosed sexual acts that would constitute sexual assault in the second degree, sexual indecency with a child and endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree by definition of statute,” Paragould police said in a probable cause affidavit.
“The victims named Harper as their offender and stated the abuse had occurred between March 1 and March 2, 2025.”
Detectives later interviewed Harper about the case. During a Mirandized interview, Harper made incriminating statements and “advised that he had told multiple people about what he had done,” Paragould police said.
Harper was being held Thursday in the Greene County jail, without bond, awaiting an arraignment date in circuit court.
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Pope County man sentenced to four years for child pornography
RUSSELLVILLE — A Pope County man charged with
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WATSON STATE
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possessing more than 300 images and videos depicting explicit conduct involving children has been sentenced to four years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
Leon Watson, 21, was arrested in March 2024 after authorities received a report of child pornography on a computer owned by Watson.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the Russellville Police Department was dispatched to a residence after receiving a call from Watson’s roommate, who said he found child pornography on the computer.
The roommate said he went into Watson’s room and used his computer to print some documents and noticed several odd video files in the downloads folder. The affidavit states the roommate opened one of the files and discovered child pornography. The affidavit also states he roommate left the residence after discovering the files and did not want to return while Watson was there.
According to the affidavit, when the officer arrived at the house to speak with Watson, he invited him in.
When the officer questioned him about the computer, Watson allegedly confirmed the computer belonged to him and became anxious when questioned about the files.
Watson allegedly said he didn’t have any inappropriate videos on the computer and the officer asked for consent to search the computer to which Watson allegedly refused.
The affidavit states the officer then seized the device to preserve evidence until he could obtain a search warrant.
A search warrant was signed by Circuit Judge James Dunham authorizing a search of Watson’s computer, which allegedly revealed more than 300 images and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct involving children.
The children appeared to range in age from approximately 3-years-old to 14years-old.
Watson pled guilty last week to 10 counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing matter depicting child sex and was sentenced to 48 months for each charge to be served concurrently.
HARPER
