Jonesboro coach, originally from Izard County, arrested on sex charges

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Photo: Preston Harmon

An Izard County native, currently employed as a coach in Jonesboro, is being accused of sex crimes with multiple minor victims. Twenty-six-year-old Preston Harmon was booked into the Craighead County Detention Center Saturday for sexual indecency with a child.

According to the Jonesboro Police Department, Harmon was detained after his suicide threat launched an investigation. He is awaiting a probable cause hearing.

Harmon was a standout athlete and a 2012 graduate of Izard County High School in Brockwell. He later joined the golf team at Central Baptist College in Conway. He is listed online as the boys’ basketball coach at Valley View Junior High School and a physical education teacher at Valley View Intermediate Blue School (fifth and sixth grades). He was previously employed at the Bay School District.

Valley View School District attorney Donn Mixon released the following statement to KAIT-TV:

“The Valley View School District received a call from a patron of another school district about alleged text messaging by a former teacher of that school district. The teacher has been employed by Valley View for the upcoming school year. The Jonesboro Police Department has notified the Valley View superintendent, Bryan Russell that the teacher is being arrested for sending sexually oriented text messages to minors. Valley View has not been made aware of any such messaging being made to Valley View students. The matter will be investigated, and the teacher will not be permitted on the Valley View campus for the time being. The Valley View School District is committed to protecting its students and the integrity of its teaching staff. This matter is being taken seriously. We appreciate the public sharing this information with us.”

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