Registered sex offender receives 15-year sentence
A Hot Spring County registered sex offender was recently sentenced to 15 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections after he failed to comply with registration requirements and his probation was revoked, according to Sheriff Mike Cash.
When announcing the sentence, Cash commended Sgt. Chris Winberry and Lt. Jerry Norwood with the Hot Spring County Sheriff’s Office along with the Arkansas Community Correction Probation and Parole office for their work during the investigation.
Stephen Duvall’s probation stems from a conviction in 2016 when Duvall was sentenced to 12 years of supervised probation for second- degree sexual assault. He was also ordered to pay various fees, register as a sex offender and not have any contact with the minor victim.
According to court documents, Duvall had engaged in sexual contact with another person who was less than 14 years old. The sexual assault began when the victim was 6 years old and occurred for approximately 4 years. It was noted in the police report that in 2015 Duvall was working as a math teacher.
When interviewed by the Hot Spring County Sheriff’s Office, Duvall did not deny the allegation.
“Stephen also stated that he did receive sexual gratification from ( the victim). He was asked how many times this happened and he admitted that it has happened at least five times that he can recall,” according to the arrest affidavit.
In November of 2016, he pleaded no contest to the charge.
According to a petition to revoke that was filed by Prosecuting Attorney Teresa Howell in September of 2020, Duvall was “eligible for revocation from supervision due to violations of his conditions of probation. He now has 50 points.”
Howell told the Malvern Daily Record that points are values assigned by Arkansas Community Correction for violations of probation conditions. The more serious the violation, the higher the point value, she said.
According to the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, Duvall’s address is listed as the 19000 block of Highway 67 in Glen Rose. He was a Level 2 sex offender.