JOHNSON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Johnson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jacob Shook was fired from his position on Friday, Aug. 16, amid accusations he sent inappropriate messages to a minor.
While Johnson County Sheriff Tom Hughes said Shook's firing is from a policy violation unrelated to the accusations, there is an ongoing investigation against him.
Shook first became chief deputy on Jan. 23 this year.
"I made the choice to move him to chief deputy because he stated he had the same goals as me; those being improved training, improving the way the department works, and bringing in automation. All the things that have been left behind," Hughes said.
Hughes says that he didn't receive any complaints about Shook until a day before his firing. "I received an actual written complaint about Mr. Shook yesterday."
Hughes said two weeks ago Shook told him a man confronted him and accused him of sending inappropriate social media messages to the man's daughter.
Jacob Goodwin told 5NEWS that he was the one who confronted Shook.
"My daughter informed me Jacob Shook started sending her inappropriate text messages when he was with her mom," Goodwin said.
Goodwin said he's been working to get justice for his daughter. It all came to a head during Thursday's Johnson County Quorum Court meeting when the allegations were brought up.
Video of Goodwin sharing an alleged victim's testimony at the meeting became popular on TikTok, which prompted several messages into the newsroom and comments spamming the sheriff's office Facebook posts accusing them of not investigating Shook thoroughly enough.
The video shows Goodwin telling officials about the multiple times he allegedly brought evidence to the sheriff's office and asked to make a formal complaint, before being turned away. "I'm going to be honest, nobody did anything. Nothing," Goodwin is heard saying in the video.
Sheriff Hughes said Arkansas State Police are now investigating the allegations.
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