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Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Sexual Indecency With A Child At Bentonville Pool

BENTONVILLE (KFSM)- A Siloam Springs man was arrested on suspicion of sexual indecency with a child Thursday (July 30) after parents visiting the Melvin Ford Aq...
james clemons parkinson

BENTONVILLE (KFSM)- A Siloam Springs man was arrested on suspicion of sexual indecency with a child Thursday (July 30) after parents visiting the Melvin Ford Aquatic Center with their children said he was watching young girls with his swim trunks down, according to court documents.

Officers with the Bentonville Police Department were called to the aquatic center on July 28 and 29 after multiple parents made complaints to staff about James Clemons Parkinson’s, 76, behavior toward children at the pool, a probable cause affidavit states.

On July 28, an officer was called in after multiple parents complained Parkinson’s white swim trunks became see-through when they were wet, according to the affidavit. Staff also said they got complaints about Parkinson being too friendly with the children and possibly masturbating in the pool, the affidavit states. The officer left after checking on Parkinson, who was being cooperative and told staff he did not realize his swim trunks were see-through, according to the affidavit.

On July 29, an officer was again called to the pool after staff received multiple complaints about Parkinson’s behavior, the affidavit states. A detective was at the pool only a short time before the manager got a complaint that Parkinson had his swim trunks down to where children could see his penis, according to the affidavit. Additional officers were then called in.

When the officers talked to Parkinson about the complaints, he did not act surprised by the allegations, but said he did not remember doing those things, the affidavit states.

While detectives continued to question Parkinson, other officers questioned eyewitnesses. A lifeguard told them she was instructed to keep an eye on Parkinson after he was observed staring at young girls and following them around the pool, according to the affidavit. Another lifeguard who was also watching Parkinson also told officers that he seemed to be near young girls all the time and would look in their direction while sticking his head underwater, the affidavit states.

Two of the lifeguards told officers they swam underwater to find out what Parkinson was doing and saw that his penis was sticking halfway out of his swimming trunks, according to the affidavit.

Investigators also spoke with a mother of two children. One of the children told her he saw Parkinson with his swim trunks down, the affidavit states. The mother then noticed that Parkinson was near her young daughter, so she told her to get out and come to the deep end of the pool with her, according to the affidavit. As the child was climbing out using the ladder, the mother said she watched Parkinson trying to rub himself against her daughter, the affidavit states.

Parkinson told officers that he used the Bentonville pool even though he was from Siloam Springs because Bentonville had nicer pools, according to the affidavit. The suspect said that when he and his wife were married, they would go to the Siloam Springs pool together and his wife became friends with some of the young girls, the affidavit states. When they divorced, Parkinson’s wife stopped going to the pool, but Parkinson continued to go and was eventually asked not to come back after multiple parents complained he was being too friendly with the young girls, according to the affidavit.

Parkinson is being held at the Benton County Jail awaiting a bond hearing, records show.

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