Child pornography found in Rector home

RECTOR — A Clay County man has been arrested following an undercover investigation into distribution of child pornography, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Thursday.

Joseph M. Parrish, 36, of Rector, faces 200 counts related to child sexual abuse materials.

“Earlier this week, special agents from my Special Investigations Division arrested Parrish following an undercover investigation of an online peer-to-peer file sharing system,” Griffin said in a news release. “I am grateful for the assistance of the Arkansas State Police and Clay County Sheriff’s Office in the execution of the search warrant that led to the arrest.

My office will continue to fight against the exploitation of vulnerable children – a fight that requires a team effort to bring these criminals to justice.”

Parrish is charged with 100 counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, all Class C felonies, which carry up to 20 years in prison each.

He is also charged with an additional 100 counts of pandering or possessing visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, also Class C felonies.

Parrish was being held in the Clay County Detention Center.

***

LITTLE ROCK — LITTLE ROCK — An investigation by state and local authorities has led to the arrests of four people, including two from Jonesboro in connection with human trafficking around the state.

Attorney General Tim Griffin announced late Friday the rehealth

See STATE, page A9 STATE

From page A3

sults of 'Operation Obscured Vision' at a press conference in Little Rock. He said the investigation resulted in aid being provided to 16 victims, the seizure of nearly $70,000, a luxury vehicle and the arrests of the four people.

The arrests included Qing Chen, 53, and Hongliang Cai, 55, both of Jonesboro, who were arrested on suspicion of one count of promoting prostitution in the second degree.

Officials said Haiyan Lu, 54, of Harrison was arrested on suspicion of promoting prostitution in the second degree and Chunli Wang, 50, of Rogers, who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault in the second degree. Griffin said authorities also seized Chinese currency in Russellville, while the vehicle seized was a Mercedes Benz.

Griffin said he has been pursuing the issue of human trafficking since he became Attorney General and that the arrests had nothing to do with reports of ICE raids being conducted around the state.

The Attorney General said the investigation was an effort by the AG's office to help people impacted by human trafficking.

“January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the best way to prevent human trafficking and rescue its victims is to combat it on one of its key fronts: illicit massage parlors,' Attorney General Griffin said.

“Operation Obscured Vision was coordinated by my office’s Special Investigations Division and executed by local law enforcement and victim advocates groups to expose the pervasive issue of illicit massage parlors in Arkansas, rescue the victims of human trafficking, and permanently end the presence of illicit massage parlors in our state,' the attorney general noted.

The Attorney General said in a media release that the information discovered by authorities was difficult to comprehend.

“Many of the women working in these illicit massage parlors are coerced to do so. One victim we interviewed stated that she is forced to work seven days a week, 13 hours per day,' Attorney General Griffin said.

“I am proud to announce that local law enforcement, with coordination by my office, executed 12 search warrants at illicit massage parlors in Jonesboro, Russellville, Hot Springs, Rogers, Harrison, and a Little Rock hotel. I congratulate the local police officers, sheriff’s deputies, the Arkansas State Police, and Special Agents in my office for successfully executing this operation.'

Griffin said his office received help from victim's advocates and state officials as well.

“I appreciate the efforts of victim’s advocates and the Arkansas Department of Health, who provided language interpreters, nursing services, and other support to help victims receive comprehensive and coordinated assistance to ensure their safety and support their journey toward independence and recovery. Seventeen victims ranging in age from 29-65 were identified in the operation, sixteen accepted services from medical staff and victim’s advocates,' Griffin said. He also thanked Gov. Sanders and the state legislature for their help with funding initiatives to investigate human trafficking in Arkansas.

“I am grateful to members of the Arkansas General Assem-

See STATE, page A9 STATE

From page A7

bly and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders for their support of adding a full-time human trafficking investigator to my office. That Special Agent worked tirelessly to coordinate this operation, and it wouldn’t have happened without the agent’s efforts,' Griffin said.

“This operation is just a first step. The intelligence and evidence obtained through Operation Obscured Vision will be used in ongoing investigations and will aid in targeting similar massage parlors elsewhere in the state. The criminals who run these establishments and the men who patronize them are on notice. We are coming for you, and we will put an end to this horrific practice of exploiting women through human trafficking.”

Jonesboro police, along with 2nd Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Sonia Hagood and the group, Hope Found, also helped with the investigation with Hagood and Police Chief Rick Elliott attending the press conference.

***

Confessed drug smuggler seeks temporary release

JONESBORO — A Jonesboro man faces a long term in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it to others.

Joshua O. Campbell, 34, remains in police custody while awaiting sentencing. However, on Thursday, he asked U.S. District Judge Lee P.

Rudolfsky to grant him a temporary release to be with a terminally ill close family member.

Campbell pleaded guilty Jan.

7 to the fentanyl charge as well as a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He faces up to 20 years for the fentanyl and 10 years for the firearm.

The indictments were the result an arrest Jonesboro police made back in February 2022, in which he was a passenger in a pickup that ran a red light, according to court documents. He was on probation for previous crimes. Officers found a loaded .380 caliber pistol during a search. Members of the 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force then went to Campbell’s home and found a loaded AR-556 semiautomatic rifle and a “large brown rock” that the Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed to be 24.7 grams of fentanyl.

Since the indictment was handed down, Campbell was arrested again on heroin possession charges last April.

No sentencing date has been set for Campbell.