Man pleads guilty to sexual assault in Baxter County District Court

Michael Smith Jr. (Photo courtesy Baxter County Sheriff’s Office)

A man charged with sex crimes in two counties appeared again in Baxter County District Court Monday, pleaded guilty to his local charges and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Similar charges were filed against 29-year-old Michael Anthony Smith Jr. in Baxter and Washington counties. Smith was initially charged with rape and false imprisonment in Baxter County and second-degree sexual assault and failure to appear in Washington County.

In his Baxter County case, Smith pleaded guilty to sexual assault, false imprisonment and committing a crime in the presence of a child.

In addition to his prison sentence, Smith must register as a sex offender.

A jury trial in his case in Washington County is scheduled for Nov. 5.

A letter from the victim was read to the court on Monday. She wrote that Smith was “a disgusting human being” and a “special kind of coward.” The victim wrote that Smith committed the acts “in the presence of my child.” She said she hopes and prays that her child has as few memories of the event as possible.

At one point, the victim said she considered Smith a friend and colleague, but his actions “cause me to question everything and everyone.”

She said she told Smith to stop, but he didn’t. The victim wrote that Smith “needs to know that when a woman says no, she means no.”

Before sentencing, District Judge John Putman asked if the victim agreed with the recommended sentence and was told he did.

Smith listed many addresses in court documents, including “the streets of Columbia, Missouri.” Records indicate that he lived a nomadic life and report that he also lived in Mountain Home, Fayetteville and Bearden.

When he learned of the allegations against him in Baxter County, Smith reportedly fled.

He was eventually arrested in Missouri on a Washington County warrant.

At some point, Smith is said to have moved to Mountain Home with his girlfriend and a child and found a job at a local company. When he moved to the area, he was already a fugitive from Washington County, where he was accused of having sexual relations with an 18-year-old woman in late October 2021.

BAXTER COUNTY CASE

Smith’s charges in Baxter County stemmed from a complaint filed by an adult female in mid-August 2022. She told sheriff’s investigators that Smith called and asked to come to her house. The woman said she met Smith when they both worked for the same Mountain Home company.

The woman said Smith arrived with a male companion. The man has since been identified as a long-time friend of Smith’s. The two men are said to have been friends since childhood.

The victim said she once went into the master bedroom to check on her young child who was sleeping in the room. When the victim turned around, she saw Smith blocking the bedroom door. He is said to have refused to let the victim out of the room. He is said to have grabbed the victim by the neck and pushed him onto the bed.

Smith allegedly forced three sexual acts on the woman. When the attacks ended, Smith and his friend left the apartment. The victim said the boyfriend stayed in the living room during the attack and did not take part in the attack.

The victim was initially hesitant to report the incident because she feared retaliation from Smith. After making the initial report, the victim cooperated with investigators but remained fearful that Smith would return.

WASHINGTON COUNTY FEES

Smith is charged with second-degree sexual assault in Washington County. The attack reportedly occurred in late October 2021. According to electronic court records, the same man said to have been present at the victim’s home in the Baxter County case also accompanied Smith to the victim’s residence in Washington County.

A warrant for failure to appear was issued in Washington County, and Smith was ultimately arrested on that warrant in Columbia, Missouri, and extradited to Arkansas.

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