Probation ordered in day care sex assault

BENTONVILLE — A Rogers man was sentenced to 10 years of state-supervised probation after admitting to sexually assaulting a child at a day care.

Nathan Jack Clemons, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault. He was charged with sexually assaulting three children, but the charges related to two of the children were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea.

Clemons was arrested the first time in June 2018 on charges he sexually assaulted a 7-year-old boy at Mary’s Little Lamb Preschool in Bentonville. The boy told his parents Clemons gave him a massage during “movie time” and touched him inappropriately, court documents indicate.

The investigation led to police arresting Clemons on charges he sexually assaulted two other children at the day care, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Clemons worked in 2015 for a boys ranch in Jasper County, Mo., according to the affidavit. He was accused of touching children’s legs and feet and talking about self-gratification, sex and his history of being abused as a child, the affidavit states.

The man also worked for a school district in Galena, Kan., where he was accused of taking a photograph of a child and sending it to a friend with a lewd comment about the child, according to the affidavit.

Sarah Phillips, deputy prosecutor, told Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren the victim’s family understands the plea agreement and appreciates it.

Karren also ordered Clemons to register as a sex offender and complete a sex offender treatment program. He was ordered not to have contact with the three children involved at the day care and not to have unsupervised contact with any minors.