James R. Sanders - Noncompliant Sex Offender

A Monticello man was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to sex offender working with children, a Class D felony.

Police received a tip in June 2007 that James R. Sanders, a 46- year-old registered sex offender who was convicted in March 2003 for sexual indecency with a 9-year-old girl, was babysitting a 5-year-old girl, according to Tenth Judicial District Deputy Prosecutor Zach Vaughn.

"Officersapproached the house and saw Sanders alone with the child acting as a sitter," Vaughn said. "Sanders initially stated that he was unaware that he was prohibited from being around children since he completed his parole."

Sanders, in March 2003, pleaded no contest to sexual indecency with a 9-year-old girl and received 60 months probation. His probation was later revoked and he was sentenced to one year in the Arkansas Department of Correction, according to Vaughn.

Sanders was paroled in 2007.

Three months later, on June 10, he was arrested for being a sex offender working with children in connection with the babysitting incident. The 5-year-old child was not harmed, but was subjected to a rape kit examination, according to Vaughn. Sanders pleaded guilty to the charge.

A Drew County jury on Tuesday sentenced Sanders to four years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He will be eligible for parole after serving one-sixth of the sentence, Vaughn said. Sanders is currently being held in the Drew County Detention Center awaiting transport to the Arkansas Department of Correction.