Woman Guilty in Child Sex Case

(Fort Smith, Arkansas) A 37-year-old local woman, Kimberly Elyse Drozal, pleaded guilty this week to fourth-degree misdemeanor sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy in accordance with a plea agreement. In return, Drozal received a one-year suspended sentence to be served concurrent with an 18-month sentence imposed earlier by a conviction in a federal money-structuring case.

The sexual assault case was originally discovered during investigation of the federal case for money-structuring (cooking the books to avoid reporting requirements). A videotape was seized during a raid which showed Drozal and local businessman Chris Drosopoulos inducing the 15-year-old in sexually explicit conduct. The incident occurred between November 2004 and June 2005.

Subsequently, both Drozal and Drosopoulos were charged with federal counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Drosopoulos was convicted of the money-structuring and sex charges and received seven years in prison. Drozal was convicted of the money-structuring charge and got 18 months. She avoided the federal sexual exploitation rap under the condition that she plead guilty in state court.

When released from federal prison, Drozal must register as a state sex offender.