Former male jail nurse to go on trial on sex charges early next year

A former male nurse at the county jail charged with making inappropriate sexual contacts with female inmates is now set to go on trial in February it was announced during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court/Criminal Division November 17.
Forty-year-old Samuel John Sparks of Mountain Home, who is charged with three counts of 4th degree sexual assault, will make his final appearance prior to trial in January.

There have been 16 continuances in Sparks’ case which was filed September 22, 2023. Sparks’ attorney Ben Burnett has told the court that negotiations with the state were continuing in an effort to settle the case without the need for a jury trial.

Sparks worked at the detention center from January 25, 2022, until he was terminated August 7, 2023.

According to the sheriff’s office, Sparks was responsible for providing nursing care to inmates, dispensing medications as prescribed, coordinating inmate sick call requests to see the Nurse Practitioner and following up with aftercare recommended by the Nurse Practitioner.

According to information on the State Board of Nursing website, Sparks’ license was surrendered voluntarily in October 2023 with the basis of the action listed as sexual misconduct.

THE CHARGES

On August 4, 2023, a female inmate made a complaint that Sparks had engaged in inappropriate contact of a sexual nature with her in the detention center.

An investigation was launched into the inmate’s allegations. Three inmates or former inmates were interviewed on the same day the initial complaint was made.

In all, 10 inmates were interviewed. They are identified in the probable cause affidavit by initials only.

According to the sheriff’s office, accusations of inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature were made against Sparks by more than one of the inmates questioned.

At one point, Sparks told investigators he had conducted what he described as “breast examinations” of female inmates at their request. He said the exams were done as part of his duties as a jail nurse.

Investigators found that Sparks had made no notes in inmate medical charts of the “requested” breast examinations.

Several conversations between Sparks and inmates contained references to quid pro quo arrangements. In more than one instance, Sparks is reported to have basically said, “here’s what I can do for you … what can you do for me?”

One inmate told investigators she had requested a Tylenol and warm compress from Sparks to treat an eye problem. She said he asked her what she intended to do for him and she said she did not plan to do anything for him. Sparks is alleged to have said, “that’s not how it works in here. If you do stuff for me, I will do stuff for you.”

He told investigators during an interview that much of the back-and-forth banter about the quid pro quo arrangements in the jail “was just me joking around.”

Investigators contacted a Nurse Practitioner who works with the jail nursing staff and she said she would never ask the jail nurses to complete a breast examination. She said that was something the jail nurses should not do.”

Sparks had been free on $5,000 bond.

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