Texarkanan gets 10 years for sex assault

TEXARKANA — A 66-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in an Arkansas prison Monday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a mentally disabled woman.

James Frederick Kelly of Texarkana appeared before Circuit Judge Brent Haltom at the Miller County Courthouse and pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault. He received a 10-year prison term.

Kelly was a “lifelong” family friend who was aware of the intellectual limitations of the victim, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Kelly took the woman, then 23, to get food from a Waffle House restaurant in Texarkana the morning of June 12, 2016, before taking her to his son’s house in Texarkana, according to the affidavit.

The woman told investigators that when Kelly’s son left the house, Kelly took her into a back bedroom and forced her to have sex with him. The woman, described as having the mental age of a 5-year-old in the affidavit, said Kelly took her cellphone away from her and threatened her. He gave the woman $30 before dropping her off at a local church, according to the affidavit.

The woman told her mother of the abuse, and a sexual assault examination was performed at a local hospital. Samples of DNA collected during the examination were a match to Kelly, the affidavit said.

Kelly was taken into custody at the end of his court appearance Monday. He had been free on a $50,000 bond.

Kelly must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.