In what may turn out to be one of the most heartless acts in recent memory, a Republican Arkansas state legislator “rehomed” a six-year-old girl he and his wife had adopted to a sexual predator who later raped the child. And that’s just part of the story surrounding Justin Harris.
In April of 2014, police arrested Eric Cameron Francis and charged him with the rape of a six-year-old girl who was temporarily in his care. After authorities began investigating, they discovered that Francis had once been employed as a teacher at a Christian preschool in West Fork, Arkansas. But as police continued to research Francis, they soon learned the preschool where he had been employed was owned by GOP State Representative Justin Harris and his wife, Marsha.
When contacted by the media for a comment on the case, Rep. Harris said he was “devastated and sickened” by the crime, and that Francis “came with a pristine record.”
What Harris didn’t bother to mention at the time was that he had recently “rehomed” the girl into the care of Eric Francis and his wife, Stacey. Harris had legally adopted the girl and her three-year-old sister six months prior to “rehoming” the child to the Francis family.
After the truth about what Harris had done became public, he attempted to weasel his way out of the situation first by seeking sympathy and then by quoting the Bible:
“You don’t know what we’ve been through this past year. You have no idea what my family has been through. I don’t care what the people of Arkansas think about me. I don’t care if I lose my position. I care what my wife thinks about me, and I care what my three sons think about me. ‘No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.’
Perhaps most frightening of anything in this entire case is the fact that “rehoming” a child is not illegal in Arkansas. Additionally, it is terrifying to realize that Harris owns a day care business that cares for some 150 children! Why hasn’t the state revoked Harris’ license to operate such a facility in light of what he did?
Just this week, the same Justin Harris, owner of Growing God’s Kingdom Preschool, had the audacity to introduce a bill in the Arkansas legislature that would weaken current state requirements for sprinkler systems in daycare centers.
Something tells me there is a warm corner of hell reserved specifically for Justin Harris and all those like him who profit off helpless children and then try to hide behind the veneer of Christianity.
This article was previously published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.