Ex-Arkansas high school teacher and coach pleads guilty in voyeurism case

BOONEVILLE — A former Arkansas high school teacher and coach who police said secretly video-recorded girls in a school bathroom pleaded guilty Friday to a charge of video voyeurism.

In a hearing before Circuit Judge Jerry Don Ramey, Mark Aaron Smith also pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of sexually explicit conduct involving a child. Other counts were dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Smith was sentenced to 10 years in prison with six years suspended, fined $1,500 and ordered to register as a sex offender. He was taken into custody after the hearing.

Smith was originally accused of placing a cellphone in the girls bathroom of the Booneville High School Field House and secretly recording 11 students without their permission. The girls ranged in age from 13 to 17.

The charges state the offenses occurred Aug. 28. An affidavit filed with the initial charges said that Smith's cellphone was found recording in a soap dispenser in the girls bathroom Aug. 30.

Questioned by school officials, Smith told them the phone found in the bathroom was his but denied knowing how it ended up in a soap dispenser. He gave the code to unlock his phone to the school superintendent, court documents show.

"Upon viewing video on Smith's phone it was clear to school administration that Mark Smith had started the phone recording and placed it in the soap dispenser," the affidavit states.

Smith also downloaded a video of the girls bathroom to a classroom computer, according to the affidavit. Authorities wrote the video showed Smith placing the phone and retrieving it from the soap dispenser.

A statement released from the school at the time said parents of the affected students were notified and that all female students in grades seventh to 12th were given general information about the video recording and were offered counseling.

Smith resigned Sept. 1 after being suspended.

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