Harrison Man Sentenced to 55 Years for Child Rape and Porn

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS – In a brutal display of judicial justice, 32-year-old Aaron Michael Ricketts of Harrison has been sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting and abusing a 5-year-old child.

According to court documents, in July 2023, the young victim disclosed to her mother that Ricketts, a man nearly three decades her elder, had been subjecting her to unimaginable physical and emotional trauma. The minor’s subsequent forensic interview revealed that Ricketts had not only abused her, but also taken nude pictures of her.

Law enforcement with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ricketts and seized his cellular phone, which was later examined by forensic experts. The investigation uncovered a shocking trove of sexually explicit images and videos documenting Ricketts’ abuse of the minor, starting when she was just four years old.

Ricketts’ depravity extended beyond mere possession of child pornography, however. Prosecutors presented evidence that he distributed images of the minor online and solicited explicit photos from other minors in exchange.

“The crimes committed by Aaron Ricketts are a gut-wrenching reminder of the horrors that occur in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes. “We must continue to work tirelessly to protect our children and hold accountable those who seek to harm them.”

Ricketts’ sentencing marks a major victory in the fight against child exploitation, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States, securing a 55-year sentence that will keep Ricketts behind bars for the rest of his life. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harrison Police Department.