An Amity man accepted a plea deal in Clark County Circuit Court for the 2023 rape of an adult female.
Jimmy Curtis Palmer, 57, of Amity, was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for the offense of second-degree sexual assault, with a 25-year suspended imposition of sentence.
Palmer was 55 at the time of the offense. Court records note that Palmer, the victim’s houseguest, identified himself as local law enforcement as he entered her room wearing a mask and tried restraining her with zip ties before raping her.
The negotiated plea deal came in the days before Palmer was set for trial. He was facing 5-40 years or life in prison upon conviction. He was represented by Clinton DeWitt of the public defender’s office.
In addition to the prison time, Palmer was ordered to pay $1,990 in court costs, register as a sex offender and complete an anger management program, among other court orders. He had a jail time credit of 524 days at the time of the conviction.
Editor’s note: The original article, published in October 2023, is included as it appeared under the headline below:
Masked Amity man claiming to be deputy rapes woman, says victim
Charges were filed this week against an Amity, Arkansas man who identified himself as a deputy sheriff before raping a woman in her own home.
Authorities in Clark County say that Jimmy Curtis Palmer is responsible for raping a female in her home. Court documents released this week note that Palmer, 55, was the victim’s houseguest, staying overnight on a couch when the incident happened.
According to an affidavit, Palmer rose from the couch and covered his face with a black cloth, with holes cut for eyes, and identified himself as a member of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office as he entered the female’s bedroom.
He allegedly attempted to use zip ties to restrain the woman before commencing the act, during which he put her in a choke hold to restrict her breathing, the victim would later tell investigators as she provided them with the zip ties and face covering Palmer used during the attack.
Palmer is not affiliated with the sheriff’s office, according to documents in the case file.
He faces one count of rape, a Class Y felony punishable by 10 years to life in prison. Prosecutors are seeking an enhancement on the sentencing given Palmer’s status as a convicted felon; his previous felony offenses include drug charges and property theft.
Investigator Sherry Cleek pursued the case.
Palmer has been in custody at the Clark County Detention Center since his Aug. 16 arrest.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
