ASHDOWN, Ark–A registered sex offender being held in the Little River County jail has been charged with rape for allegedly forcing another inmate to perform a sexual act, according to court records filed Tuesday.
Clifton Leroy Phillips, 52, is accused of threatening to beat a fellow inmate if he did not perform oral sex on him a few days before Thanksgiving, according to a probable cause affidavit. The alleged sexual assault was reported by the inmate when he was seen for a doctor’s appointment in early December.
Phillips allegedly assaulted the inmate in a shower at the jail. Video surveillance footage from Nov. 25 reportedly showed the two men entering a shower, however, cameras do not record inside the showers, the affidavit said.
At the time of the alleged rape, Phillips was being held on charges of failing to register as a sex offender and prohibited item in a correctional facility. Phillips had been jailed in July for misdemeanor public intoxication and was found in possession of marijuana he was attempting to use while in custody, according to a probable cause affidavit.
After his public intoxication arrest, officials determined he was required to register as a sex offender because of a 1997 conviction for first-degree sexual abuse but had allegedly failed to update his registration as required. Phillips pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse charge in 1997 and received a five-year prison sentence.
Phillips is currently scheduled for a pretrial hearing in Little River County circuit court in January on the sex offender registration and prohibited item charges. Trial on those charges is scheduled for late January before Circuit Judge Bryan Chesshir, court records show.
If found guilty of violating sex offender registration requirements, Phillips faces three to ten years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. If convicted of having contraband in the jail, Phillips faces five to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $15,000.
If convicted of rape, Phillips faces 10 to 40 years or life in prison.