Local man gets 55 years for sexual assaults,

TEXARKANA, Ark. — A man who sexually assaulted two female relatives was sentenced Wednesday to 55 years in prison following a trial in Miller County.

William Jesse Boswell, 58, was found guilty of rape and sexual indecency with a child in connection with one of the victims and guilty of second-degree sexual assault in connection with the other. The jury sentenced Boswell to 35 years for rape and six years for sexual indecency and 20 years for sexual assault.

Although the jury recommended all the terms run concurrently, Circuit Judge Brent Haltom ordered the 35-year and 20-year terms to run consecutively so that separate sentences involving the two victims would be served by Boswell at different times, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell said. The sixyear term will run concurrently with the 35-year term.

In total, Boswell received a 55-year sentence. Under Arkansas law, Boswell must serve at least 75% of the 35-year rape sentence before he can be considered for parole, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Black said.

“Due to the rules on parole eligibility, the defendant will be in his 80s before becoming eligible for parole. I hope this operates as a positive message to other victims of such heinous crimes that they will be believed if they have the courage to tell a responsible adult regarding what they have endured,” Black said.

In addition to the two victims named in the cases against Boswell in Miller County, several other relatives testified they were also sexually abused by Boswell as children.

The allegations of both of Boswell’s accusers are similar. The older alleged victim reported to an investigator with the Miller County Sheriff’s Office that Boswell would wake her and abuse her at night while others in the home were asleep.

Boswell had been free on bonds totaling $50,000 but was taken back into custody earlier this month. He is accused of witness intimidation for allegedly threatening one of his accusers on the phone. That charge is still pending.

Texarkana lawyer Josh Potter represented Boswell.

Potter, who was court appointed to defend Boswell, said he intends to pursue an appeal on Boswell’s behalf.

Mitchell and Black managed the prosecution.

“I am very grateful to the jurors for their time and attention to the testimony of the two named victims as well as the three additional victims, all relatives of the defendant, who testified about the abuse inflicted upon them by the defendant,” Mitchell said. “One of the named victims was sexually abused by the defendant beginning when she was 5 years old and endured the abuse until she was 12. She carried the abuse for 20 years before she gained the courage to report the defendant’s behavior to law enforcement.

The jury’s verdict of guilty and the sentence imposed ensures the defendant will not harm another child. These victims can begin to heal. I hope the verdict and sentence encourages others who have been sexually abused to come forward knowing they will be heard and the offenders prosecuted.”