BENTONVILLE -- A Benton County Circuit Court found a Deer man guilty of sexually assaulting a woman and sentenced him to seven years in prison.
Jerry Junior Martin Jr., 69, was found guilty Tuesday of second-degree sexual assault, a Class felony carrying a sentence of five to 20 years in prison.
He was arrested June 21, 2016.
A woman testified Martin touched her inappropriately while he was at her home in May 2016.
The woman's mother, a friend and two Bentonville police officers were also called as witness.
Martin took the stand Tuesday afternoon and denied inappropriately touching the woman.
Circuit Judge Robin Green followed the jury's recommendation and sentenced Martin to seven years in the Arkansas Department of Correction and ordered him to pay a $7,000 fine and $690 in court associated costs.
Martin will be required to register as a sex offender and can't have any contact with the woman.
Martin must serve one-sixth of his sentence before he will be eligible for parole.
"The victim in this case did what we ask any person in her position to do -- she spoke out and she spoke up," Carrie Dobbs, deputy prosecutor, said. "We appreciate that the jury followed through and held the defendant accountable for his despicable behavior."
NW News on 02/07/2018