Bentonville man gets jail time, probation
Posted on Tuesday, November 25, 2008
BENTONVILLE — A Bentonville man was sentenced to 120 days in jail and placed on 10 years probation for attempting to meet a person he thought was a 13-yearold girl.
Patrick Wade Carson, 24, pleaded guilty Monday to Internet stalking of child, a class B felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years. Carson admitted to starting a online conversation with what he believed was a teenage girl.
The person on the other end of the online conversation was actually a Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigator. Carson was arrested when he showed up to meet the girl.
Carson pleaded guilty to the court, which means his sentence was Circuit Judge Tom Keith’s responsibility.
According to court documents, in October 2007 Carson began communicating with a Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigator, who was online pretending to be a teenage girl. Court documents claim Carson had sexually suggestive communications with the investigator and arranged for a meeting.
Deputy Prosecutor Joni Rose recommended Carson be sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Rose described the online chat between Carson and the investigator as sexually graphic. Rose said it took Carson 17 minutes into the conversation to move into a sexual tone.
Joel Huggins, who represents Carson, recommended the judge place Carson on probation and order him to seek outpatient sex offender treatment.
A pre-sentencing report by the Benton County Probation Office recommended Carson be sentenced to 42 months in prison.
Carson apologized to his family and the court for his actions.
Keith described Carson’s actions as “ reprehensible. ”
Keith sentenced Carson to 120 days in the Benton County Jail and placed him on probation for 10 years. Carson must also enroll and complete an outpatient sex offender treatment program. He will be required to register as a sex offender.
Keith also ordered Carson to stay out of online chatrooms and not to have any contact with minor females.
Carson was ordered to pay $ 1, 670 in court-associated costs.
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