Stalking case filed in child-sex sting

A Forrest City man was arrested in an undercover operation on accusations that he tried to arrange to have sex with person he thought was a teenage girl, authorities said.

According to a statement from the 1st Judicial District Drug Task Force, the man believed he was talking to a 14-year-old girl as he carried out conversations online.

Ron Kimble, 57, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of Internet stalking of a child after he reportedly agreed to meet with undercover officers who were posing as the girl, the agency said.

Authorities said the person in the online conversations cautioned the messages’ recipient about “weirdos” on social media, tried to groom her for the purpose of sex and complimented her looks.

“I’m not trying to be a perv. Lol. You just turn me on,” the person reportedly said.

Undercover officers received photos and descriptions of the person’s genitalia and the person described the sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the girl, according to the statement. As the conversations continued, the man agreed to meet the child and take her to his house, the task force said.

Kimble was arrested after arriving in his van at a truck stop in Palestine, where he was met by undercover officers with the task force and Palestine Police Department.

A search of Kimble’s home yielded a shotgun, methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, authorities said. Kimble is a convicted felon, according to court records.