Sex Offender Registry
Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
Arkansas Ann. Code § 12-18-402 sets forth a long list of professionals who are required to report suspected child abuse and neglect (including sexual abuse) to authorities. These professionals include child care, daycare, and foster care providers; coroners; foster parents; judges; law enforcement officials; medical and mental health care providers; social workers; members of the clergy and other religious officials; and attorneys ad litem.
In addition, any person who has reasonable cause to suspect child maltreatment may make a report.
Reports must be made immediately. Failure to report may result in a misdemeanor or other penalties.
Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
Arkansas Ann. Code § 12-18-103 states that “sexual abuse” means:
- By a person age 10 or older to a person younger than age 18:
- Sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact by forcible compulsion
- Attempted sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact by forcible compulsion
- Indecent exposure
- Forcing the watching of pornography or live sexual activity
- By a person age 18 or older to a person not his or her spouse who is younger than age 16:
- Sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact
- Attempted sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact
- By a caregiver to a person younger than age 18:
- Sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact
- Attempted sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact
- Forcing or encouraging the watching of pornography
- Forcing, permitting, or encouraging the watching of live sexual activity
- Forcing the listening to a phone sex line
- An act of voyeurism
- By a person younger than age 10 to a person younger than age 18:
- Sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact by forcible compulsion
- Attempted sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity, or sexual contact by forcible compulsion
“Sexual contact” means an act of sexual gratification involving:
- Touching, directly or through clothing, the sex organs, buttocks, or anus of a person or the breast of a female
- Encouraging of a child to touch the offender in a sexual manner
- The offender requesting to touch a child in a sexual manner
“Sexual exploitation” means:
- Allowing, permitting, or encouraging participation or depiction of the child in prostitution, obscene photography, or obscene filming
- Obscenely depicting, posing, or posturing a child for any use or purpose
Arkansas Civil Statute of Limitations in Child Sexual Abuse Cases
Arkansas Ann. Code § 16-56-130(a) provides that civil claims must be filed within 3 years of the discovery of childhood sexual abuse.