FORT SMITH — Former city director and port authority member Alaric Parrish is to be arraigned in Fort Smith District Court at 1:30 p.m. Thursday on a charge of sexual solicitation of an undercover police officer.
Parrish, 60, was arrested Friday at a Fort Smith motel after he answered an ad for prostitution on an Internet website, according to a Fort Smith police report. The report stated that he called the number in the ad and set up a time to meet with a woman.
When he arrived at the motel, the report stated, he paid the woman $150 and began to undress when other officers entered the room and arrested him. He was freed from the Sebastian County jail after posting a $1,500 bond.
If convicted of the Class B misdemeanor, he could be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail and fined up to $1,000.
Parrish was the Ward 3 city director from 1997 to 2008. He also was a member of the Fort Smith Port Authority from 1998 until Monday when he tendered his resignation to City Administrator Ray Gosack. His term on the authority was to expire on July 31, according to the city’s website.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 01/09/2013