Arkansas school resource officer arrested after having sexual encounters with 16-year-old
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A Baxter County deputy and school resource officer has been arrested on sexual assault charges.
According to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, 33-year-old Matthew Guthrie, who was a school resource officer at Cotter Public Schools, was arrested after a 16-year-old student accused him of sexual misconduct.
The investigation came about after the parent of the 16-year-old and the Prosecuting Attorney requested that the Arkansas State Police conduct a criminal investigation.
Police interviewed the victim, and on Friday Guthrie made a full confession that the allegations were true.
Reports state that Guthrie and the victim engaged in consensual sexual activity multiple times at multiple locations between May and July of this year. None of the encounters are believed to have taken place on school property.
Guthrie was hired by the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office as a jailer in January of 2016 and was transferred to the position of School Resource Officer in January of 2017.
He was arrested on Friday and is being charged with seven counts of first-degree sexual assault. He is also prohibited from having any contact with the victim.
Guthrie was fired from his position at the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office on Friday morning.
He is being held at the Baxter County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.
