International child abuse investigation leads to arrest of SW Arkansas suspect
An international investigation into a child pornography case has resulted in the arrest of a Southwest Arkansas man accused of sexually assaulting a child in Polk, Sevier and Howard Counties and distributing the act on film.
According to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, investigators with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security contacted members of the Howard County Sheriff’s Office in late November in reference to case originally investigated in London, England. In that case, a suspect had been arrested in London on charges related to possession of child pornography.
Agents with Homeland Security were reportedly able to identify a potential victim in that video as a resident of Southwest Arkansas. During questioning of the potential victim, investigators say they were able to determine the individual was not the victim but the perpetrator of the illicit act and material.
Authorities then placed the suspect under arrested and identified him as 20-year-old Marcus Wester. Although Wester was stated as a resident of Nashville, court records show him residing in Horatio. It was at a home in Horatio where Wester was arrested by local authorities before being transported to the Sevier County Jail.
The arrest affidavit states Wester admitted to sexually abusing an underage male on numerous occasions at various residences in Sevier, Howard and Polk Counties. He then allegedly sent recordings of the acts to the suspect arrested in London, England, through his Playstation 4.
A rape charge was filed against Wester in the Sevier County Circuit Court on Dec. 13. Upon a conviction, the Class Y felony carries a sentence of 25-40 years, or life imprisonment.
Wester is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 6, 2023.
In a statement regarding this case, Sevier County Sheriff Robert Gentry said those who commit acts of abuse against children will be found and prosecuted. He also praised the law enforcement agencies that worked together during the investigation and arrest.
