According to court records, Steven Leonard Christopherson, 22, was initially charged in October 2006 with two felony counts of sodomy.
Christopherson worked at the Sallisaw City Jail for three months and was on a probationary period when he was accused of the sex crimes.
The victim, who was 21 at the time and had been a trustee at the city jail, reportedly told police that on Oct. 21 and 22 Christopherson entered the kitchen area of the jail and told the victim that he would not give her credit for her working hours unless she performed oral sex on him, which she did.
The charges against Christopherson resulted in him being fired from his position as jailer.
On Dec. 6, the felony counts of sodomy against Christopherson were dismissed. Also on Dec. 6, he pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of outraging public decency, a misdemeanor charge, relating to the October 2006 incident, court records indicate.
Christopherson received a five-year deferred sentence. As part of the deferred sentence, he must obtain counseling per Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center and must not violate any city, state or federal laws, according to the sentencing order.
People Inc. employee
In a separate case, a Vian woman charged in July with allegedly embezzling two clients' money while working at a residential home in Sallisaw pleaded no contest.
Janice Branson, 41, was charged July 19 with one misdemeanor count of embezzlement and one felony count of embezzlement. On Dec. 3, the felony was reduced to a misdemeanor count of embezzlement, according to court records. She was given a two-year deferred sentence, and was ordered to pay restitution of $795.42, court costs, and other costs associated with the case.
According to court records, Sallisaw Police Detective Sandra Girdner reported that she and a Department of Human Services worker were advised on June 12, 2006, that two clients from a People Inc. residential home had money missing.
Another People Inc. employee reported that receipts that Branson, a People Inc. employee off work because of an injury, turned in did not match up to the money taken out of the clients' accounts or money spent on the clients or by the clients.
Branson allegedly said that sometimes some of her own receipts got mixed up with the clients and she did not spend any of the money herself.
Two clients' accounts allegedly showed a loss combined of nearly $800. Both accounts lacked receipts for those losses. The responsibility for the accounts was allegedly with the house leader, identified as Branson.
