Paragould, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Paragould man was arrested after police said he sexually assaulted a child between the ages of five and ten who was staying at his home.
Devin Nothern, 21, was arrested and booked into the Greene County Detention Center on June 1, according to the online jail roster.
The arrest stems from a report the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline and Paragould Police Department received on March 27 for a child who said they had been sexually assaulted. The child was interviewed on April 1 by an Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division (CACD) investigator.
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According to the probable cause affidavit, Nothern had touched the child inappropriately while the two were sitting on the couch at Nothern’s house. Several witnesses were interviewed between April 8 and April 21 and told a story consistent with what the victim told the investigator.
In a Mirandized interview with Nothern on April 15, he told police that the victim had not stayed in the house since 2025 but later confirmed that the victim had stayed at his house during spring break. However, Nothern claimed that his memory of the referenced events was “foggy.”
Police said Nothern then gave consistent details of the events that occurred during the stay but denied sexually assaulting the victim. Nothern also admitted to making an inappropriate comment to another juvenile he is associated with.
On June 1, Nothern was given a $250,000 cash/surety bond and ordered to have no contact with the victim. The online jail roster shows that he was released the following day. As a condition of his release, he must wear a GPS ankle monitor.
Nothern is being charged with one class B felony: Second-degree sexual assault.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic/sexual violence, call 800-656-HOPE (4673) to reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
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