Jury Gives Man Life For Rape, Sexually Abusing Two Girls

TEXARKANA, Ark. – A Miller County jury handed down two consecutive life sentences and additional prison time for a Texarkana, Texas, man found guilty of sexually abusing two girls when he lived in Texarkana, Ark., years before.

The jury who sentenced William Joseph Keller, 56, to life this week heard testimony from those victims as well as three other alleged victims who described sexual abuse by Keller going back two decades.

The two girls Keller was convicted of abusing were 10 and 11 and lived near Keller in 2019, according to a probable cause affidavit. Keller groomed the girls by talking with them about sex and showing them pornagraphic videos of adults engaged in sex, the affidavit said.

The abuse was reported in 2024.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Cotten, who represented the state along with Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell, said in an email Thursday to TXK Today that he is grateful to the jury who had to listen to difficult testimony before reaching their decision.

“These two girls had to face someone who had other victims going back at least 20 years,” Cotten said. “This was justice for these two young ladies. They are strong, brave heroes who brought this case to a conclusion through their testimony.”

Keller underwent a mental evaluation ahead of his trial and was found competent to proceed, court records show. He allegedly overdosed on Viagra and blood pressure pills after the allegations surfaced, the affidavit said.

The jury sentenced Keller to life on each of two counts of rape. He received maximum six-year sentences and maximum $10,000 fines on each of two counts of sexually grooming a child.

Keller also has a separate pending rape case in Miller County involving an alleged victim who has described being sexually abused by Keller in 2011 when she was under the age of 14.

Keller is currently being held in the Miller County jail awaiting transport to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.