A former Blytheville Police Department officer has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to numerous charges involving child sexual abuse material. David Paul Cross, 26, was given a 36-month sentence by Judge Scott Ellington. This comes after Cross's plea to 19 counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, WREG reports.
Arrested by Arkansas State Police on March 12, 2024, following a search warrant at his home, Cross was fired from his position with the department promptly after the allegations emerged. His plea, which reduced the initial 35-count charge, still could have resulted in a much longer sentence. He faced the potential of up to 190 years in prison if given the maximum consecutive sentence for each charge. District Prosecuting Attorney Sonia Hagood had argued for a 57-year sentence, according to NEA Report.
Despite the gravity of the charges and the lengthy sentence requested by the prosecution, Cross will be eligible for parole after serving just six months, one-sixth of his sentence. This is due to the fact that Cross had no prior criminal history, scoring zero on the criminal history score as per sentencing guidelines. According to Honk News, this led to a lighter sentence which might have even been just community corrections or probation.
While the judge’s ruling has been controversial, it is within the guidelines set by Arkansas lawmakers. The sentence pronounced by Judge Ellington, technically higher than the presumptive sentence, reflects an adherence to these legal frameworks rather than the prosecution's stance on the crime. "I highly respect Judge Ellington and the position he holds. It is not easy to make sentencing decisions," Prosecutor Hagood told NEA Report. "At the sentencing hearing, the State fought for a 57 year sentence. I wholeheartedly believe that is the appropriate sentence for the crime." Cross' legal consequences include not only the three years in community corrections but also a ten-year Suspended Imposition of Sentence (SIS), meaning the threat of additional jail time if he violates certain terms.
