Sex offender gets additional time
Lowell man sentenced to extra 21 years for abusing child
BENTONVILLE — A Lowell man already serving a 30-year prison sentence for a sex crime involving a child was sentenced to an additional 21 years for crimes involving another child.
Jason Qualls, 47, pleaded guilty Wednesday as a habitual offender to sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child and harassing communications. The plea was reached by Hanna Murphy, Qualls’ attorney, and Gabriel Stultz, deputy prosecutor.
Qualls is being held in the Delta Regional Unit in Dermott. He appeared for Wednesday’s hearing via video conference.
The girl reported in January 2022 that Qualls started sexually abusing her when she was 6 and before he was sent to prison, according to a probable cause affidavit. The girl was interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County where she described details of the abuse, according to the affidavit.
She said Qualls told her it “was our little secret” and there would be consequences if she told anyone, according to the affidavit.
The harassing communications charge involves Qualls sending the girl letters detailing prior sexual assaults and his abusing her, according to court documents.
Qualls was sentenced to 30 years in prison in June 2021 after pleading guilty to sexual assault and sexual indecency with a child. Qualls admitted to locking a girl in a room with him and sexually assaulting her, according to court documents.
Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren accepted the plea agreement and Qualls’ guilty plea.
The judge sentenced Qualls to 21 years in prison. The sentence will run consecutively to the 30-year sentence.
Qualls will have to register as a sex offender as a result of both cases and he must complete a sex offender treatment program.
He cannot have any contact with the victims. The judge also ordered him not to have any unsupervised contact with minors.