John Scott Landingham admitted Monday to raping a 17-year-old girl while he was state prisoner and free as part of a furlough program.
Landingham, 42, pleaded guilty to rape, a Class Y felony, which is punishable with a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 40 years of life imprisonment. He pleaded guilty under a plea agreement his attorney Sarah Ashley, a Benton County deputy public defender, reached with Stephanie McLemore, a Benton County deputy prosecutor.
Landingham's jury trial was slated to begin next week.
The 17-year-old girl reported that she was raped by Landingham on June 12, 2011. According to court documents, the girl, who was described as mentally challenged, reported that she rode with Landingham on some errands and he raped her while the two were together.
According to court documents, a DNA sample was found in the girl’s underwear. Sgt. Dennis Schumacher, an investigator with the Benton County Sheriff ’s Office, was able get a sample of Landingham's DNA. A report from the Arkansas Crime Lab state samples collected from the inside and outside of the girl’s underwear contained DNA that matched the DNA from oral swabs collected from Landingham, according to court documents.
Landingham was being held in the Washington County Detention Center and was in a furlough-type program. He was able to check out of jail on weekends and spend the time at his mother’s house, Schumacher previously said.
Circuit Judge Robin Green accepted the plea agreement and Landingham's guilty plea.
Landingham was sentenced to 2o years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He was also given a 20 year suspended sentence that begins after his release from prison.
He will have to serve the entire 20 year sentence because of his other felony convictions.
The judge also ordered Landingham to pay $870 in court associated costs.