Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — On March 10, 2021, West Monroe Police responded to a reported sex crime that allegedly occurred at a residence on Olympic Boulevard in West Monroe, La. According to police, the victim was a 13-year-old who reported that they were raped by a family friend in December 2020 who identified as Jamarkus Dewayne Arnold.
On March 21, 2021, detectives began their investigation and learned that Arnold befriended the victim’s mother while working at Applebee’s. After becoming friends, Arnold allegedly convinced the victim and their mother to begin modeling and to allow him to photograph them.
According to officials, they interviewed the victim who mentioned that Arnold allegedly convinced the victim and their mother to take photos in lingerie. According to the victim’s mother, Arnold was left at the residence with the victim when she went to work in December 2020.
Arnold staying at the residence was not rare due to the victim’s mother letting him spend the night on multiple occasions. Arnold went on to engage in sexual intercourse without the victim’s consent, raping the victim.
Later on in the investigation, police obtained the camera that Arnold left at the victim’s home with pictures of the victim and their mother in lingerie. On Wednesday, October 26, 2022, police located and arrested Arnold for Second-Degree Rape.
He is being held at the Ouachita Correctional Center on a $250,000 bond.