Fayetteville Athletic Director's Arraignment Postponed

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

BENTONVILLE — Barry Gebhart, Fayetteville School District’s former athletic director, appeared in court Monday for an arraignment hearing, but the hearing was postponed until Feb. 18.

Gebhart was arrested Oct. 22 in connection with Internet stalking of a child, a Class A felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from six to 30 years if convicted.

The arraignment was postponed because prosecutors have not filed formal charges. Prosecutors are waiting for officials to complete a forensic search of Gebhart’s electronic devices, including his phone, said Stuart Cearley, Benton County’s chief deputy prosecutor.

“We know part of what we’re going to be charging,” Cearley said. “I want to have it all in front of me at one time. I want to get all the forensics in first before we get a filing decision.”

Gebhart, 50, wore a suit and red tie Monday to court, where he appeared with his attorney, Drew Miller, in front of Circuit Judge Robin Green. Gebhart was accompanied by a woman with whom he was holding hands.

Gebhart was arrested at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers after Benton County Sheriff’s Office detectives arranged a meeting there. A detective pretending to be a 14-year-old girl had communicated with Gebhart for several weeks, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Glenn Latham, a Sheriff’s Office detective, saw a posting Gebhart made on Whisper, a social networking application. Latham, who is assigned to the Cyber Crime Unit, began to pose as a 14-year-old girl, and interacted with Gebhart, who said he was a teacher, according to the affidavit. Gebhart made several sexual comments and sent a photograph of his penis and several facial photographs to the detective posing as the girl, according to the affidavit.

Gebhart was released from the Benton County Jail on $75,000 bond the day after his arrest. He submitted his resignation to Superintendent Vicki Thomas of the Fayetteville School District two days later. The School Board officially accepted his resignation Nov. 21. He was earning $101,917.

Gebhart had been Fayetteville’s athletic director since December 2009. Earlier that year, Gebhart coached the Fayetteville boys basketball team to a championship season in which the Bulldogs went undefeated.

The district is in the process of choosing Gebhart’s successor. Thirty-one applications for the job were received by the time the application period ended Nov. 26. The applicants included 12 employees from inside the district, 11 more from Arkansas and eight from out of state.

Alan Wilbourn, Fayetteville’s public information director, said last week there is no set timetable for filling the position.