Man pleads innocent in kidnap, rape case

HOT SPRINGS — A man pleaded innocent Tuesday to felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from allegations he drugged and raped a 14-year-old girl in January before Hot Springs police surrounded the building where he was holding her.

Max Raphael James Jackson, 39, of Hot Springs, was taken into custody on Jan. 31 shortly before 8 p.m. and later charged with felony counts of rape, punishable by up to life in prison, kidnapping, punishable by up to 20 years, sexual indecency with a child, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Jackson, who lists no prior local criminal history, has remained in custody in lieu of a $200,000 bond since his arrest and pleaded innocent to all the charges Tuesday in Garland County Circuit Court. He was declared indigent at the hearing, so a public defender, Shane Ethridge, was appointed to represent him.

Judge Kara Petro had issued a gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case and a court order barring Jackson from future contact with the accuser on Monday. An omnibus hearing to determine the admissibility of statements Jackson reportedly made to police after his arrest is now set for May 21.

According to the probable cause affidavit on his arrest, on Jan. 31, shortly before 8 p.m., Hot Springs police responded to the area of 901 Hobson Ave. for a welfare check after being notified a 14-year-old girl had left a nearby church event with an older male and was last seen at that location.

Officers checked the building, but did not observe any occupants. It was noted there were tarps and other construction materials on or about the building that seemed to indicate it was being renovated.

Witnesses at the scene identified the building as the one they had seen the girl enter, so officers surrounded the building and then “knocked and announced themselves.” After they did not receive a response, they attempted to contact the owner of the building in order to gain entry.

After several minutes, one of the officers on the perimeter heard a girl “cry out and yell.” As officers began to organize an emergency entry, a Black male, identified as Jackson, exited the building and stated, “This girl is trying to lie and sit there,” the affidavit says. The affidavit notes it was around 7:45 p.m. when Jackson came out.

Officers entered the building and located the girl who was “crying and lying on a bed.” At that point, Jackson was taken into custody and began saying that his boss had called him and stated there were “cops outside the building” who were looking for a 14-year-old girl, police said.

At the scene, the girl reported to officers that she had been raped. She was taken to the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center to be interviewed and disclosed she had met with Jackson at the 901 Hobson location, police said. She said he “provided her illicit drugs, threatened to harm her” and then forcibly raped her multiple times, police said.

After being read his rights, Jackson admitted he met the girl at a church event earlier in the evening, police said. He also admitted to exposing himself to her, police said.