Man pleads guilty to rape of child
By LEWIS DELAVAN News editor

Emory James Zastrow, 74, formerly of Hot Springs Village, recently pleaded guilty to rape the day before he was to face a jury trial in Saline County Circuit Court.

Zastrow was charged of raping a juvenile neighbor in the Village. He was sentenced by Circuit Judge Grisham Phillips to serve 25 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction, said District 22 Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady.

The 12-year-old child told Hot Springs Village police that Zastrow began touching her when she was 7. The touching progressed to sexual intercourse by the time she was 11.

She also told police on Dec. 19, 2006, that Zastrow had taken nude Polaroid pictures of her. Her statement enabled police to obtain a warrant, and search the suspect's home on Soto Lane in the Village.

He offered no resistance when arrested on Dec. 21, 2006, said Village Director of Public Safety Laroy Cornett. Zastrow had no previous arrest record, Cornett said.

The families of the victim and Zastrow were friends. "The mother saw her daughter becoming reticent about seeing this family friend and began questioning the girl, who then broke down and described what happened," Cornett said.

The police recovered photographs of the child as well as other corroborating evidence.

"This guilty plea will hopefully bring closure to a terrible ordeal for this child and her family. Under the terms of the agreement, this offender will not be even considered for parole until he is 91 years old," Casady said.

In addition to his Saline County rape sentence, the defendant pleaded guilty to violation of a minor in federal court for photographing the child nude. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on the federal charge.

Zastrow will be processed through ADC's Pine Bluff Diagnostic Unit, where it will be determined if he will first serve time in a federal or state prison.

It is the only reported rape in Village history, Cornett said. He urged residents to not be alarmed.

"This was a family friend case, not someone being attacked on the street. There is no indication there were other victims. It makes me sick to think this could be my 12-year-old granddaughter," Cornett said.