An Arkansas man who is considered a high-level sex offender threatened to "rape the first woman he sees" upon his release from police custody earlier this week. He was released Monday, and picked up later again that evening for a disorderly conduct charge.
Hempstead County police released a statement Monday to warn the public of John West, 52, who had a previous conviction of sexual contact with a 4-year-old at his home in 1996. West was brought in for disorderly conduct in April, and taken to a hospital in Little Rock for evaluation. The hospital said West would be released back into Hempstead County, where police said the man would most likely become homeless.
"West apparently suffers from mental illness and is stable while on medication," Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton wrote on Facebook. "He is telling the hospital personnel that he will not stay on his medication, when he walks out of the hospital. He is also telling the hospital staff that he will rape the first woman he sees so he can come back to [Arkansas Department of Corrections]. West reported that he has previously had command hallucinations that told him to rape a woman."
"This notice is provided to the citizens of Hempstead County out of a concern for the safety for the citizens," the post said. "Please use caution if this person approaches you. Call 911 immediately and report whereabouts. Please do not approach."
See posts, photos and more on Facebook.
The Hempstead County inmate booking site lists West as a 52-year-old white male, but the Facebook post by the sheriff states West is 38. The reason for this discrepancy is currently unclear. Newsweek is contacting authorities for comment and will update if we receive any additional information.
Then, at 7:42 p.m. Monday, the sheriff's office booked West again for disorderly conduct, according to their website. The Hempstead County Sheriff's website Thursday showed that West was still currently detained as an inmate. It is uncertain how long West will be held before he is once again released.
West is considered a Level 3 sex offender on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the most severe. The state categorizes sex offenders on the likelihood the offender will commit more sex crimes, or become a repeat sex offender.
Hempstead County is located in the most southwestern part of the state, just east of Texarkana and due north of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Scott McDonald is a Newsweek deputy night editor based in Cape Coral, Florida. His focus is assigning and writing stories ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
