BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A former Bentonville youth pastor has been sentenced to 60 years in prison after being charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and other crimes.
Keenan Hord, 32, was arrested on August 25, 2022, and charged with second-degree sexual assault and possessing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child. Prosecutors later added multiple additional charges against Hord, including more counts of sexual assault in the first and second degree.
On February 24, Hord pleaded guilty to 13 counts of sexual assault in Benton County circuit court.
Court documents said that in 2020 and 2021, Hord engaged in “sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity” with multiple minors while the suspect was employed “in a position of trust or authority over the victims.” Hord previously worked at First Baptist Church in Bentonville.
The church said that it contacted the child abuse hotline immediately upon hearing of allegations against Hord and cooperated with the subsequent investigation.
During the investigation, Bentonville Police seized multiple electronic devices from Hord’s residence and officers also conducted forensic interviews. Conversations and video were recovered from Hord’s phone and police also obtained relevant surveillance video of Hord.
He will be eligible for parole after 15 years.
