Photo: Matthew Guthrie
A former Baxter County deputy sheriff and school resource officer at Cotter charged with seven counts of sexual assault involving a then 16-year-old female student appears to be headed to trial later this month.
Thirty-three-year-old Matthew Guthrie is now set to go on trial during the week of Aug. 24. He made a final appearance prior to trial in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
Defense attorney John Crain has told the court he plans to call eight witnesses during the trial. Crain had earlier filed a motion to suppress evidence the defense contends was illegally obtained from Guthrie’s cellphone.
The defense alleges when Guthrie was interviewed at the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office in late July last year, his phone was on the table in front of him.
The defense attorney says when investigators left the room, they took the phone without Guthrie’s consent. Crain reported a search warrant for the phone was prepared after the interview. He said the phone was initially taken illegally, without probable cause, and without a warrant, and any evidence taken before the search warrant was issued should not be allowed at trial.
Crain told the court Thursday, he had been informed the prosecution did not plan to introduce information gathered from the phone. He said if that changed, he would request a hearing on the matter. Circuit Judge John Putman said if a hearing on the phone evidence was necessary, it would be held Aug. 20.
According to court records, the former deputy is reported to have admitted having consensual sex with the girl.
The student was interviewed July 25 last year and told investigators she had sex with Guthrie multiple times at four different locations in Baxter County. The victim was reported to have assisted with gathering evidence to substantiate the charges against Guthrie.
Guthrie allegedly told investigators the sexual relations with the student took place between May-and-July, 2019. The encounters apparently did not happen on school property.
The allegation was brought to 14th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge by the girl’s parents. Ethredge requested an investigation by the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division.
Charges were brought based on that investigation.
Guthrie was hired as a jailer in January 2016 and was transferred to the position of school resource officer the next year. He was fired July 26 last year, the day he was arrested, according to Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery.
At the time of Guthrie’s arrest, Montgomery said the fate of the former deputy was “now in the hands of the judicial system, and we expect he will be treated no differently than any other person” facing such serious charges.
The former deputy has been free on $100,000 bond.
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