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Wife of former Wetumka mayor arrested, faces multiple felonies

Wife of former Wetumka mayor arrested, faces multiple felonies
By Ken Childers
ONL Editor
As reported in April 16 edition of ONL, James Jackson, the former mayor of Wetumka, was arrested last month and faces a battery of sex crime charges including lewd acts against a minor, possession of child pornography and bestiality.
Last Friday, his wife, Rebecca Jackson was arrested at her Wetumka residence on several felony charges. The arrest warrant was executed by the Hughes County Sheriff’s Department, members of the District 22 Violent Crimes Task Force and the United States Marshals Service.
Rebecca was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Hughes County Jail on four charges, including possession of child pornography, conspiracy to commit a felony, engaging in a pattern of criminal activity in two or more counties and use of a computer to violate Oklahoma state statute. According to a press release from the Hughes County Sheriff’s Department, bond was set at $500,000 and her arraignment was pending.
James was arrested March 26 in a joint effort between the FBI, the Hughes County Sheriff’s Department and Wetumka Police. At the time, he had been charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor in Whiteside County, Illinois, where he and Rebecca lived previously.
The state of Oklahoma has since filed seven additional charges against James, including conspiracy, lewd or indecent acts to child under 16 (two counts), violation of Oklahoma statute via computer, indecent exposure by proxy, aggravated possession of child pornography and crimes against nature by bestiality.
James and Rebecca both resigned from the Wetumka City Council on Jan. 31 at the conclusion of a specially-called council meeting that began with accusations from councilor Norma Marshall that James had been stalking her.
The council voted in an emergency meeting held Jan. 14 to fire City Manager Donnie Jett and to force him and Jackson to turn in their keys to city hall. Police Chief Joe Cooper announced at that meeting that Jett and Jackson were under investigation by the FBI.
James called the Jan. 31 meeting and the agenda included a proposed executive session to discuss abolishing the police department and moving its funds to the sanitation department for a “critically needed multi-million dollar, 40-year sewer lagoon loan.”
The council convened into a 45 minute executive session, and upon return to open session, it was announced that all agenda items were being tabled and the Jacksons would resign, with one caveat – councilman Randy Hinkley had to go as well. All three resignations were made official later that day, forcing a special election which was originally slated for April, but will be delayed until at least June due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to court records, Rebecca filed for divorce from James on April 10.

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