An alderman and former Lavaca School District teacher was arrested Thursday after police say he made inappropriate sexual comments and made a young boy expose himself.
Jack James, 52, of Lavaca, was released from the Sebastian County Detention Center in Fort Smith on $8,000 bond the same day, according to a jail deputy.
Barling police arrested James on Arkansas Highway 22 in connection with two counts of attempted sexual indecency with a child, one count of sexual indecency with a child and one count of harassment.
James was arrested following an Arkansas State Police investigation.
The alleged victim was an eighth-grade student of James. State police say James called the victim from class and told him he wanted to do various sex acts with the child. In another instance, police say James made an eighth-grade student expose himself to James.
In another instance, James asked two male students to expose themselves to him, but they refused, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
The alleged offenses occurred during the 2011-12 school year, state police say.
Barling police stopped James’ car Thursday to serve him with warrants from the state police’s investigation.
James retired from the district at the end of the last school year, according to a school spokesperson.
James is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 10.
James represents Ward 1 for Lavaca.
