According to Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Blake Batson, Wayne Poland on Tuesday entered a change of plea before Special Judge Randy Wright, pleading guilty to two counts of rape, possession of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, and failure to appear.
Poland, who has been in custody since his arrest on May 22, 2007, appeared with a court-appointed attorney to conclude a case that dated back to 2000 regarding allegations that he sexually molested two minor children in Arkadelphia. On Feb. 25, 2005, a Clark County jury found co-defendant Jacqueline Velcoff guilty of multiple counts of rape. She received a sentence of 14 years.
Poland, 66, was sentenced for two counts of rape, one for each victim. On each rape, Poland received a sentence of 25 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. He also received a sentence of 10 years in the Department of Corrections for possession of child pornography and six years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for failure to appear. Poland, 66, will be required to serve 70 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for consideration for parole.
He was initially charged with the rapes on Oct. 2, 2003 with additional charges of possession of child pornography being added shortly after. Poland was released on bond pending trial. The trial was scheduled on Nov. 15, 2004 but he failed to appear and fled the jurisdiction. As a consequence, a judgment of $692,200 was entered against First Arkansas Bail Bonds. Batson pursued collection of the outstanding bond forfeiture judgment which was resolved shortly before Poland was apprehended in May 2007 in Alabama.
Following the plea, Batson said, “This closes a sad chapter in the lives of the children he abused. I have had numerous discussions with the victims and their families regarding this case. To say that this has been a difficult process for the victims would be a gross understatement. Since enduring these horrible events with the defendant, they have each sought to move on with their lives. They are now both adults and the thoughts of reliving the events of this case, six years later, was something that neither of them looked forward to doing. While they were prepared for trial, it was their preference that this matter be plead in the fashion it was.
“The wishes of the victims’ and their families and loved ones, together with the issues involved in trying a case that was this old, were the primary factors I considered in allowing the defendant to enter a plea, given the nature of the offenses and the sentences imposed. More importantly, it closes the final chapter to allow these victims some closure and the ability to move on with their lives.
“When I came into office three years ago Poland was on the run, his bond was outstanding and the file was piled into boxes after having being retrieved from an office fire. He’s been caught, the bond has been collected and today he is sentenced to prison.”
The case against Poland has seen five defense attorneys, three circuit judges, three circuit clerks and two elected prosecutors. Batson said, “While I am glad the defendant will not be able to harm children again, I am probably more content knowing that the victims can finally move on. They deserve the right to live their lives now that the cloud of this horrible crime has been lifted.”
Poland will not be able to appeal his sentence.
Arkadelphia, Ark. —
