ROGERS, Arkansas — Former Rogers High School wrestling coach Colton Looper was arrested Thursday and is facing a sexual assault charge stemming from a reported incident that happened during last school year, according to a statement from the district.
Rogers Public Schools confirmed Looper was hired as a coach at the high school in 2020. He submitted his resignation as wrestling coach effective on Monday, Aug. 29, according to the district.
Benton County Prosecutor Nathan Smith said Looper, 26, was arrested on one count of first-degree sexual assault on Thursday, Sept. 1. He was granted a $50,000 bond and has since been bonded out.
Jail records show the Rogers Police Department as the investigating agency on the case.
"Currently, the Rogers School District is working with local law enforcement to conduct a thorough and complete investigation of this allegation. As always, the safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities and school administration took immediate action to ensure the safety of students," the district said on Thursday.
RPS also said that the district notified the Crimes Against Children Division of the Arkansas State Police as mandated by law.
According to court documents, on Aug. 29, a parent contacted an assistant superintendent with concerns about an 18-year-old female student, referred to as Jane Doe, who admitted to having a "sexual relationship" with her wrestling coach.
During the investigation, Jane Doe told detectives that she and Looper had been in a relationship during the 2021-2022 school year, from September to July. During that time, she was reportedly 18 years old and has since graduated from Rogers High School.
She also told investigators nude photographs were exchanged between the two via Snapchat which eventually led to them having "a mutual idea to meet at TJ Maxx and have sexual intercourse around October or November" of 2021, according to the affidavit.
Jane Doe said the relationship began during the preseason when she received a phone call from Looper and asked "if they could talk on something that the messages would disappear" and began chatting on Snapchat. The conversations were "normal" at first, then after a week they "began turning sexual," documents said.
Looper later admitted to the sexual encounter, stating that he had left a boys' wrestling tournament in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, early to meet up with Jane Doe.
On Sept. 1, police questioned Looper at his home, where he admitted to sending nude photos and meeting up at TJ Maxx with Jane Doe.
When officers asked if he'd ever been accused of a similar offense, Looper said he had "inappropriate conversations via Snapchat messages with an 18-year-old (unknown name) female that wanted to join the wrestling team" when he was a coach in Watonga, Oklahoma.
He told police Jane Doe was the only student that he had sexual intercourse, according to the affidavit released by Rogers Police Department.
Under Arkansas law, sexual assault in the first degree is committed by someone if they "engage in sexual intercourse" with someone under the age of 21 and that victim is a student at the same school where the suspect is in a position "of trust or authority over the victim" such as a teacher, principal, athletic coach, or counselor.
Looper's bond was requested to be set at $75,000. He is being held in Benton County Jail pending a bond hearing, according to Keith Foster with RPD.
5NEWS will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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