Public indecency charge for former Gravette teacher, sex offender lands him in Crawford County jail

A 69-year-old Van Buren man who violated his parole for a 2017 second-degree sexual assault plea deal in Washington County awaits a parole revocation hearing after he was arrested for public sexual indecency in Crawford County last week.

Harry Don Almond, 69, was arrested on July 15 for public sexual indecency, a Class A misdemeanor. He pled not guilty to that charge and remains behind bars pending a $5000 legally sufficient bond.

According to Arkansas Court Connect the former Gravette teacher committed his original crimes in 2015 when he assaulted a student who was at Almond's home making extra money by helping him pack and move some items.

The student told investigators that Almond touched his genital area. Police r recorded a telephone conversation between the student and Almond, who admitted he touched the student's crotch, but urged the student not to say anything about it.

Almond resigned his position at Gravette High School where he taught computer and business classes for grades nine through 12.

During the course of that investigation, other sexual assault allegations involving a second student came to light.

He was arrested October 27, 2015. Almond was sentenced to six years in the Arkansas Department of Correction after he pled guilty, He served three years of his sentence and was paroled in January 2020.

Almond was under a ten-year probation for the 2015 crimes at the time of his arrest last week,