A 31-year-old Arkansas man jailed for inappropriate involvement with a 10-year-old child was sentenced Friday to just over 12-years in prison.
Dustin Kennedy was given that sentence after Judge Joe McCarville agreed to go along with a recommendation to depart from Jessica’s Law to a level two person felony and then sentence him on that grid based on any previous criminal history.
Kennedy had earlier waived his right to a preliminary hearing and entered a “guilty” plea to aggravated criminal sodomy, while the state dropped a second charge or alternate count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.
Kennedy had been charged after the incident where he was living with his girlfriend and was alone with her child when the crime occurred. The child apparently told her mother of what he did and she then confronted Kennedy. She told him he needed help, so he went to the hospital and asked for help and they told him that he needed to call the police, so that’s what he did. The alleged crime occurring back on November 10, 2011.
District Attorney Keith Schroeder says he agreed to the recommendation and the plea agreement so that the child victim would not have to testify. The victims mother told the judge that no matter what he sentences him to, it won’t be enough.
Kennedy in addition to the 12-plus years in prison will have to register as sex offender and will also by on lifetime post release supervision when he’s released from prison.