TONTITOWN, Ark. — A Tontitown man who authorities said kept a 5-year-old in a space that was nailed shut has entered his plea in court, according to officials.
The Tontitown Police Department (TPD) reports that on Nov. 2, they went with the Arkansas Department of Human Services (ADHS) to the home of Jon Paul Thompson to take custody of a 5-year-old child.
Officials said Thompson initially denied that the minor was there, but after a conversation of about 30 minutes, officials heard a banging from the outside of the wall. Thompson eventually agreed to let them in to take custody of the child, officials said.
When officials went inside, they said "[Thompson] got down on his knees in a closet ... moved some boxes, and then had to pull a board that was nailed to the wall to get access to a small space ... to allow the child to come out." Bodycam footage captured the moment when the child was pulled from a section of a closet that was nailed shut.
Police said, "The space the child was in might have been a triangle-shaped void ... possibly six to eight feet wide, going down to two to four feet wide."
Thompson was arrested and taken to jail the same day, officials said. Court records show he has entered a plea of not guilty. He is being charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, and possession of drugs including meth, cocaine and heroin, among other charges. His trial is set for May 17, 2024, court records show.
Check out the body cam of that footage below.
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