Petition to the Arkansas Legislature

To the Arkansas General Assembly,

We, the undersigned citizens of Arkansas, are calling on our legislators to strengthen Arkansas sentencing laws for crimes involving the sexual assault of children and minors.

When a child is sexually assaulted, the consequences do not end when the criminal case is over. The victim may carry the effects of that trauma for years—or for the rest of their life.

Yet Arkansas law currently allows sentencing language that can result in a serious felony conviction being accompanied by a monetary penalty rather than requiring meaningful incarceration. For crimes involving the sexual assault of a minor, we believe the law should make it unequivocally clear that a financial penalty must never be treated as an adequate substitute for accountability through incarceration.

We are asking Arkansas lawmakers to:

1. Remove the “or” structure that permits a monetary fine to substitute for imprisonment when sentencing qualifying sexual offenses against minors.

2. Establish a meaningful mandatory minimum term of incarceration for qualifying sexual offenses against children, while preserving appropriate judicial discretion for circumstances specifically provided by law.

3. Review Arkansas sentencing laws involving sexual crimes against minors to ensure that penalties reflect the seriousness of the offense and the lifelong impact on victims.

4. Put the protection of children and the rights of victims at the center of sentencing policy.

This petition is not about revenge.

It is not about targeting a particular defendant.

It is not about telling judges or prosecutors how to handle an individual case.

It is about changing the law so that future victims are not left wondering whether justice for what happened to them can simply be measured in dollars.

A child’s safety should never have a price tag.

A felony conviction for sexually assaulting a child should carry consequences that reflect the seriousness of the crime.

We are asking our elected representatives to listen to the people they serve.

If you believe Arkansas can—and should—do better when it comes to protecting children and holding offenders accountable, sign this petition.

But don’t stop there.

Contact your Arkansas state representative and senator.

Tell them that you support stronger sentencing laws for sexual crimes against minors. Ask them to support or introduce legislation that would eliminate the ability for a monetary fine to substitute for incarceration in qualifying cases.

One signature is a voice.

One phone call is a voice.

One email is a voice.

Thousands of voices become a movement.

We are not asking for mob justice.

We are asking for accountability, consistency, transparency, and stronger protections for Arkansas children.

Arkansas can do better.

Our children deserve better.

And we are asking our lawmakers to make it happen.

Accountability for Those in Positions of Trust and Authority

We also call upon the Arkansas Legislature to strengthen accountability when a person who commits a sexual offense against a child has abused a position of trust, authority, or public responsibility.

Children and families are taught to trust certain adults because of the authority those individuals hold. Law enforcement officers, police chiefs, teachers, coaches, clergy, government officials, healthcare professionals, caretakers, and other authority figures may be given extraordinary access to vulnerable people because society trusts them to protect, serve, guide, and safeguard others.

That trust should carry responsibility—and when that trust is deliberately abused, it should carry enhanced accountability.

We recognize that Arkansas has already taken steps in this direction. In 2025, the Arkansas Legislature enacted Act 976, creating an enhanced penalty for certain felony offenses committed against a child when the offender is an adult and is in a position of trust or authority over that child. The law specifically encompasses sexual offenses. (Arkansas Legislature)

We believe that principle should be strengthened.

We ask lawmakers to ensure that:

A person’s position of trust or authority over a child is treated as a significant aggravating circumstance when that position is used to facilitate or commit the offense.
Individuals entrusted with public authority—including law enforcement officers and other public officials—are held to a heightened standard of accountability when they abuse that authority to harm a child.
Enhanced penalties are structured clearly enough that the abuse of a position of trust cannot be treated as merely incidental to the underlying offense.
The law recognizes that abusing a position entrusted with protecting or serving the public can magnify the harm to the victim and undermine public trust in the institutions involved.
These enhanced penalties apply regardless of whether the offender is currently employed, retired, resigned, or otherwise separated from the position at the time of prosecution, when the position of trust or authority was a factor in the offense.
Authority should never be a shield from accountability.

If anything, those entrusted with greater power should understand that their responsibility is greater—not lesser.

We are not asking for special treatment based on a person’s profession.

We are asking for accountability because of the trust that profession represents.

A badge, title, uniform, position, or public office should never place someone above the law.

And when that authority is used to exploit or harm a child, that abuse of power should matter when the sentence is imposed.