ADDITIONAL FELONY CHARGES FILED AGAINST SAGE MAN IN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE INVESTIGATION; SPOUSE ALSO CHARGED

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Official release

Source material from Arkansas State Police. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

NEWS

ADDITIONAL FELONY CHARGES FILED AGAINST SAGE MAN IN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE INVESTIGATION; SPOUSE ALSO CHARGED

October 16, 2026

MELBOURNE, Ark. — Two Arkansas State Police (ASP) investigations have resulted in additional felony charges against Brandon Vincent Lara, 43, and new felony charges against his spouse, Tara Lara, 43, both of Sage.

Brandon Lara has remained in the Izard County jail since June 11, 2026, following an investigation by the ASP Criminal Investigation Division. Brandon Lara was charged with four counts of Second-Degree Sexual Assault, one count of Sexual Indecency with a Child, and one count of Sexually Grooming a Child. Bond on those charges was set at $250,000.

A separate investigation by Special Agents with the ASP Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force led to additional felony charges filed on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Izard and Marion counties.

In Izard County, Brandon Lara faces 40 additional counts of Pandering or Possessing Visual or Print Medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child. His total bond in Izard County has been increased to $450,000.

In Marion County, he is charged with 11 counts of Engaging Children in Sexually Explicit Conduct for use in visual or print medium and one count of Transportation of Minors for Prohibited Sexual Conduct. Bond in that county is set at $200,000.

Tara Lara is charged in Marion County with one felony count of Transportation of Minors for Prohibited Sexual Conduct. Her bond is set at $25,000.

The ICAC investigation began after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received a CyberTip from Google concerning suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) linked to an online account belonging to Brandon Lara.

After executing search warrants on the accounts, investigators found additional evidence, including indications that photographs of minors had been digitally altered to create sexually explicit images.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Investigators expect to file additional charges against both Brandon and Tara Lara in Izard and Marion counties.

No further details are available for release at this time.

Posted By: ASP

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Release text attributed to Arkansas State Police. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.