Former Fort Smith Director arrested on solicitation charge

by The City Wire staff ([email protected]) 338 views 

A former Fort Smith city director was arrested after he allegedly solicited an undercover officer for sex, according to a report from KFSM 5 News, a content partner with The City Wire.

Alaric “Ric” Parrish, 60, responded to an ad for prostitution posted on Backpage.com and met an undercover detective at a Fort Smith hotel Friday afternoon (Jan. 4), according to a police report.

The offense report states Parrish called the phone number on the ad just before 3 p.m. and arranged a meeting. Once inside the hotel room Parrish and the undercover officer discussed various sexual acts and the use of “sex toys,” according to the report.

After Parrish placed $150 on the table and started to take off his shoes, police officers came into the room and arrested him, the report states.

He was booked into the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center and later released on a $1,500 bond, a jail deputy said.

Parrish served as a city director for 12 years. He lost a re-election bid in 2008.

“I’m just terribly ashamed and embarrassed,” Parrish told 5NEWS Monday.

He said he did not wish to speak on camera, but stressed that he was sorry and that an incident like that had never happened before.