Charges have been dismissed against Allyson Shea Smith, a 35-year-old Level 2 sex offender from Manila, after she was accused of failing to inform law enforcement about her involvement with a local booster club.
Poinsett County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jimmy Turnbow requested the case be dismissed, citing a June 15 motion in which Smith agreed not to volunteer with the East Poinsett County Booster Club in the future. Second Judicial Circuit Court Judge Pam Honeycutt granted the order of nolle prosequi on Tuesday, meaning the court will not pursue the charges further.
Court documents revealed that aside from this “technical violation,” Smith was found to have no other infractions under the Sex Offender Registration Act, including compliance with reporting and registration requirements.
The case began in September 2025 when Poinsett County Sheriff’s Detective Garrett Woods opened an investigation after seeing posts on social media indicating Smith was volunteering with the booster club. Woods testified that while Arkansas law allows Level 1 and Level 2 sex offenders to volunteer with schools if they notify local law enforcement, Smith had not done so.
Lepanto Police Chief Mark Authement confirmed that his department was never notified. Woods subsequently obtained a copy of booster club minutes from August 2025 that showed Smith being added as a member, leading to her arrest for failing to comply with the law. Smith was taken into custody on September 10, 2025, and was released from the Poinsett County Detention Center shortly after.
Smith’s legal history dates back to 2018, when she was arrested by Jonesboro police on charges of sexual indecency with a child and fourth-degree sexual assault while serving as a school nurse at Rivercrest Junior High School. In 2019, she pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charge and was sentenced to three years of probation. The sexual indecency charge was dismissed. As part of her sentencing, she was required to register as a sex offender.
The Arkansas Department of Public Safety classifies Smith as a Level 2 offender, indicating a moderate risk to reoffend.
While this case has been resolved, Arkansas law remains clear that sex offenders must notify law enforcement before volunteering in any capacity with schools or associated organizations. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in arrest and prosecution.