I never thought I would see this in my corner of the world. Call me a fool for being surprised that it would happen in an Adventist setting... I may not activly attend an SDA church, but I still make the drive to gentry to the Sleepy Hollow store on occasion. I am adding this story here to make sure this man's name gets out there as one not to be trusted.
http://www.kfsm.com/global/story.asp?s=9466045Gentry teacher arrested for alleged sexual assault on female studentPosted: Dec 5, 2008 02:27 PM CST
Updated: Dec 6, 2008 04:50 AM CST
GENTRY - Police in Gentry are being overrun with many different sexual assault cases and one case has lead to the arrest of a local teacher.
Late Thursday night, police say they arrested Thomas McDonald, 25, who has been a teacher and coach at the Ozark Adventist Academy in Gentry. McDonald was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage female student who attends the same school.
According to Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith, two of the cases under investigation are connected to Ozark Adventist Academy. "We're literally turning from one case straight into the next, or we've got two that are tied together or, -it's been a heck of a week", says Smith. "I just got off the phone just minutes ago with my investigator, and he tells me that the interview that we did today did not glean any new information."
Police say on Wednesday the student told them about the encounter leading to McDonald's arrest. According to police, on December 2nd, McDonald admitted during questioning to having inappropriate contact with the female student.
McDonald was arrested and booked into the Benton County Jail on a charge of 2nd Degree Sexual Assault, which is a Class B felony. If he is convicted, his crime could be punishable with up to 5 to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
edited to add link back to original story