Arkansas Judge Joseph Boeckmann Resigns After Defendants' Nude Photos Found on Computer

Impact

Arkansas District Court Judge Joseph Boeckmann resigned Monday after thousands of nude photos of his defendants were found on his computer, NBC reported Tuesday. The discovery was part of a sweeping ethics investigation into Boeckmann's conduct, who had been accused of giving lighter sentences to male defendants in exchange for posing nude at his home, sex and other favors.

Boeckmann said his resignation would be immediate and that he would never again seek office as a government employee at any level, according to NBC. 

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In a May 5 letter to the judge's lawyer, the state's Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission offered a glimpse into the nature of the about 4,500 photos found on the judge's computer.

"They all depict young men, many naked who are in various poses inside the judge's home and outside in his yard," the letter reads, according to NBC. "There are numerous photos of naked young men bending over after an apparent paddling."

Arkansas Matters

Boeckmann's resignation brings to close a long inquiry against the judge first filed by the commission back in November 2015. The judge was suspended with pay that same month, according to Ballotpedia.   

In a "statement of allegations," the state detailed how the judge would often require male defendants to perform "community service" at his home where he would take photos of them in compromising positions while they were picking up trash. At least one of the men was under 18. 

Boeckmann first joined the bench in 2009 after being elected by voters and would have faced them again in 2016.