Arkansas deputy released in sex-assault case

Johnson County employee on paid leave after arrest

A Johnson County sheriff's deputy was released from jail Tuesday after being arrested on a felony sexual-assault charge.

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Robert Retford, 55, of Knoxville had been jailed since Monday on one count of third-degree sexual assault. Retford was held in the jail in neighboring Pope County until his release on bail.

The amount of bail was unavailable after normal business hours, and online jail records had not been updated with the sum. Retford has been placed on administrative leave.

A woman told police that Retford had told her "that he would help me as long as I helped him."

"I thought that he wanted me to be like a snitch for him, but he was talking about sexual things," she said, according to an affidavit filed in Johnson County Circuit Court by a special agent with the Arkansas State Police.

The woman said in the affidavit that Retford made her say and do sexual things to him and allow him to do things to her.

"He told me that if I ever said anything about it that he would kill me and throw all of my family members in jail. That is why I did everything that he told me to do," she said, according to the affidavit.

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The woman said she later told another person what had happened, "and she took me to the hospital," where Retford's accuser talked to authorities, according to the affidavit.

Retford told police that he met the woman at her home when he responded to a disturbance call.

Retford denied having sexual intercourse with her but acknowledged doing some sexual things to her, according to the affidavit.

"Retford stated that he crossed the line" but said "that the encounter was consensual," the affidavit said.

"Retford denied threatening [the woman]," the affidavit said. "He said that he may have told her that they needed to keep this between themselves."

State Desk on 12/02/2016

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