BENTONVILLE -- A Bella Vista man was sentenced Monday to 95 years for raping and sexually assaulting four children.
John Clifford Longnecker, 77, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape, a Class Y felony; second-degree sexual assault, a Class B felony; 20 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a Class C felony; and four counts of engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual or print medium, a Class B felony. The plea was reached between Carly Marshall, deputy prosecutor, and Scott McElveen, Longnecker's attorney.
Longnecker must serve more than 50 years in prison before he would be eligible for parole.
Longnecker admitted he engaged in sexual acts with the children and also filmed himself in the crimes, according to court documents. He had the images on his computer. He also possessed other child pornography images, according to court documents.
He was arrested July 22 in connection with sexually abusing four girls over a period of several years, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The girls were interviewed at the Children's Advocacy Center of Benton County. Court documents state the girls reported instances of being touched while either sitting on a couch in the man's home or on an orange bucket in the back yard. They used anatomically correct dolls to re-enact the actions, according to court document.
Longnecker told police his life was over and also told police of situations that matched what the girls reported, according to the affidavit.
Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green accepted the plea agreement and Longnecker's guilty pleas.
Longnecker was sentenced to 25 years for each of the rape convictions. He also was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the sexual assault. The sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 95 years in prison. Longnecker also was sentenced to 20 years in prison on the other charges, but that sentence will be served concurrently.
He will be required to register as a sex offender and must pay $2,190 in court costs.
Metro on 12/21/2016