Johnson man convicted of rape, gets 3 life terms

FAYETTEVILLE — A Washington County Circuit Court jury took less than 30 minutes Thursday to find a Johnson man guilty on three counts of raping a minor and then recommended three life sentences without the possibility of parole as punishment.

Dean Leroy Meacham, 42, was charged with three counts of rape involving incidents between January 2020 and April 2022. Meacham was accused of having sexual intercourse or engaging in deviate sexual behavior with a person younger than 14 years old.

“There’s no motive to make any of this up,” said Denis Dean, chief deputy prosecutor.

The sexual abuse began when the child was about 9 years old and continued until the abuse was disclosed when the child was 13, according to testimony.

Another person testified Thursday she was subjected to similar abuse by Meacham when she was younger.

“It’s out of control,” Dean said. “This defendant can’t help himself; he’s sexually attracted to children.”

Meacham did not take the stand in his defense. He sat emotionless at the defense table throughout the trial, even when the jury returned their verdicts.

Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay sentenced Meacham immediately, following the jury’s recommendation.

“The jury showed this community that they will absolutely not tolerate those who abuse our children,” Dean said after the trial. “They will listen to those children who come forward with allegations of abuse. They will listen to the evidence presented, and they will harshly punish the wrongdoers.”

Police began investigating in April 2022 after a report was made to the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division hotline. The child was interviewed and examined at the Northwest Arkansas Child Safety Center, and Meacham was developed as a suspect.

Meacham fled the state when the rape investigation began, and U.S. marshals were called in. They tracked Meacham to Newberry Springs, Calif., an unincorporated community near Barstow, Calif., where he was arrested and then returned to Arkansas to stand trial.

Forensic examiners from the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory testified Wednesday that semen from evidence collected by police was tested and a DNA profile developed. That profile was then compared to a known DNA sample from Meacham.