Bentonville jury trial for Matar under way

NWA Democrat-Gazette/FLIP PUTTHOFF Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputies bring Ali Matar, left, to jury selection Tuesday for his trial in Bentonville.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/FLIP PUTTHOFF Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputies bring Ali Matar, left, to jury selection Tuesday for his trial in Bentonville.

BENTONVILLE -- A woman testified her daughter said "Mr. Ollie" had tickled her in her private area.

The mother was one of the witnesses to testify Tuesday afternoon as prosecutors began building their case against Ali Matar Jr., who's accused of sexually abusing three girls.

Matar Jr., 22, of Lowell is charged with rape, a Class Y felony, and two counts of sexual assault in the second degree, a Class B felony. He previously pleaded not guilty to charges.

Matar worked for the Bentonville School District as an Adventure Club leader for the School District starting in October 2013. He was fired after his May 2014 arrest.

He is accused of sexually abusing three students. One of the girls was 5-years-old at the time and the other two were 6, according to court documents.

Each of the girls' mothers said during Tuesday's proceedings and identified Matar as their daughters' teacher in the after school program.

The mother of the 5-year-old said her daughter was playing on the computer when she first spoke being touched by "Mr. Ollie" in an inappropriate manner. Her daughter used hand motions to show how and where she was touched, the woman said.

She later asked her daughter about the touching and the girl repeated the hand motions, her mother said. She called police and was told to take her daughter to the Children's Advocacy Center of Benton County where the girl was interviewed, the woman said.

The mothers of the other two girls said they asked their daughters about Matar after receiving notifications from the school concerning Matar and the allegations.

One of the older girls was interviewed twice at the Children's Advocacy Center. She didn't disclose any abuse in the first interview, but did in the second. Her mother said she asked her daughter about Matar and the girl the said Matar had sexually abused her. The girl was then interviewed the second time at the Children's Advocacy Center.

The third mother also said she told her daughter Matar had been arrested for touching someone and then asked her daugher if he had ever inappropriately touched her. She said her daughter answered, "Yes," and one of Matar's attorneys quickly jumped up and objected.

Circuit Judge Brad Karren instructed the jury to disregard woman's statement concerning her daughter's response.

Angela Anderson of Bella Vista also testified during Tuesday's proceedings. Anderson was the site supervisor at Baker Elementary School when Matar was arrested.

She said Matar was the leader for the group of kindergarteners.

Anderson said she never saw any inappropriate actions by Matar to the students. However, she said she had to warn Matar a few times about allowing third-grade girls to sit in his lap and jump on him.

The three girls are expected to testify during the trial.

Carly Marshall, deputy prosecutor, showed the jurors photographs of the girls on their first day of kindergarten. "This is a case about Ali Matar and Adventure Club and him sexually abusing them," Marshall said of the three girls in her opening statements.

Marshall told the jurors they also will hear Matar as he confesses to sexually abusing one of the girls.

Marshall told the jurors they will also hear from the girls. "You will hear them talk about the lessons they shouldn't have learned from their kindergarten teacher," Marshall said.

Matar wasn't a teacher in the School District. He was referred to as a teacher several times during the trial.

Paul Waddell, one of Matar's attorneys urged jurors in his opening statements to scrutinize and examine all the testimony in the case including from the girls.

Waddell told jurors children are impressible and can be easily influenced. Waddell said the allegations against his client were blown out of proportion and twisted.

"He did not rape or sexually assault anyone," Waddell said.

Waddell also told jurors there isn't any DNA evidence linking Matar to the crimes and police detective asked leading questions that resulted in his client's confession.

Matar is being held in the Benton County Jail with a $250,000 bond set.

If convicted, Matar could be sentenced from 25 to 40 years or life imprisonment for the rape charge. He could be sentenced from five to 20 years in prison on each of the sexual assault counts.

Seven women and five men were selected to sit on the jury. A man and a woman are serving as alternate jurors.

NW News on 01/28/2015

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