An El Dorado man was sentenced to 40 years in prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault.
Jamie M. Anderson, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault on Oct. 1, according to court documents, four weeks before he was set to face trial on Oct. 28.
Anderson was arrested on Feb. 26 by officers with the Union County Sheriff’s Office, at which time he was charged with two counts of rape, two counts of second-degree sexual assault and sexual indecency with a child, for which he faced between 66 and 126 years in prison.
Details of Anderson’s offenses were not made public prior to his plea deal, though two of his charges specified that the crimes were committed against a person under the age of 14.
Anderson initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. His wife, Sharon Anderson, 35, is currently facing two counts of permitting the abuse of a minor, to which she pleaded not guilty in May, according to court records. She faces between five and 40 years in prison if convicted.
Jamie Anderson will serve two 20-year sentences consecutively, meaning back-to-back rather than at the same time, in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Judge Hamilton Singleton noted that he is entitled to 218 days of pre-trial incarceration credit.
Sharon Anderson is expected to appear in court again next month.
Caitlan Butler can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].