Officer admits hiring prostitute, police say

Fort Smith lawman is charged, resigns

FORT SMITH -- An 11-year veteran of the Fort Smith Police Department resigned Wednesday after admitting he hired a prostitute whom he once transported to jail.

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In a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Police Chief Kevin Lindsey said Cpl. Bruce Fletcher was charged in a warrant Tuesday with misdemeanor sexual solicitation. Fletcher surrendered to police Wednesday, was booked into the Sebastian County jail and was released on a $1,000 signature bond.

If convicted, Fletcher could be sentenced to up to 90 days in the county jail and fined up to $1,000.

Lindsey said such cases are hard on law enforcement agencies but that the department should be given credit for taking immediate action.

"I hope that the citizens out there, when they are apprised of this news, don't paint the department with a broad brush and thinking that this officer reflects the integrity and pride of the Fort Smith Police Department," Lindsey said. "He does not."

Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue wrote in a news release Wednesday that Fletcher is to be arraigned on the charge Monday in Fort Smith District Court.

Lindsey said a woman interviewed Oct. 13 in a residential burglary investigation told detectives that Fletcher paid her money for sex three or four times.

Lindsey said the encounters began around February and occurred at Fletcher's home while he was off-duty.

He also said it was possible that the woman made the disclosure in hopes of leniency for whatever trouble she may be in with the police.

Fletcher was placed on paid administrative leave after the woman's interview, Lindsey said, and he was interviewed two days later. During Fletcher's interview, he admitted that he hired the woman for sex, knowing she had engaged in prostitution in the past.

In an affidavit seeking an arrest warrant for Fletcher, the woman told police that the patrol officer had transported her to jail after she was arrested in an undercover prostitution sting operation about 1½ years ago.

According to the affidavit, months later Fletcher followed her home after an unrelated police call and asked if she still engaged in prostitution. She answered that she did and said he could contact her through Facebook, the document said.

He contacted her that evening, the affidavit said.

Fletcher admitted that he paid her $100 after each encounter and drove her to an automated teller machine each time to withdraw the $100 to pay her, the affidavit said. Lindsey said investigators had recovered video of him withdrawing the money at the ATM.

Shue said he did not plan to file any charges against the woman in this case.

Metro on 10/22/2015

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