BENTONVILLE -- An 83-year-old Avoca man will spend the rest of his life in prison for raping two girls.
Fred Kimball was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of rape. The jury later recommended he be sentenced to life imprisonment on both of the counts.
The jury deliberated for almost two hours before returning with the guilty verdicts. It took the panel only 20 minutes to return with the verdicts on the life sentences.
He was accused of sexually abusing two women when they were children.
A 32-year-old woman testified Kimball touched her inappropriately. The abuse started when she was 7 years old and ended when she was 13, she said. She said Kimball told her not to tell anyone about the abuse because no one would believe her.
The woman said she posted on Facebook about the abuse as a result of the MeToo movement.
A 28-year-old woman testified Kimball had raped her. She said the abuse started when she was 5 years old and ended when she was 9.
She told jurors she remembers sleeping on the couch and waking up with Kimball molesting her. She said she spoke up about the abuse after seeing the other woman's Facebook post about Kimball abusing her.
Tim McDonald, deputy prosecutor, asked her how many times Kimball sexually abused her.
"A lot," she said. "Too many to remember."
Kimball did not testify during the trial.
Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green followed the jury's recommendation and ordered Kimball to serve the two life sentences. Green ordered Kimball not to have any contact with the victims.