Conway, Arkansas – A former Conway County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been sentenced to 22 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to a rape charge involving a minor.
Joseph Taylor Dube, 34, entered a negotiated guilty plea to rape on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. In addition to the 22-year prison sentence, Dube received an eight-year suspended sentence.
The case began after the Conway County Sheriff’s Office received a report alleging that Dube had sexually abused a minor. The sheriff’s office requested assistance from the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division, which opened an investigation on March 22, 2025.
ASP CID special agents conducted the investigation into the allegations. Following the investigation, Dube was arrested by authorities.
The case ultimately resulted in Dube entering a negotiated guilty plea rather than proceeding to trial. His sentencing includes 22 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, followed by an eight-year suspended sentence.
The investigation was handled by state police after the allegations were reported to the Conway County Sheriff’s Office. The involvement of ASP CID allowed special agents to investigate the allegations and gather information that led to Dube’s arrest.
Dube’s previous position as a deputy with the Conway County Sheriff’s Office adds significance to the case, as the allegations involved a former law enforcement officer. The investigation was initiated at the request of the sheriff’s office after the report concerning the minor was received.
The sentence announced following Wednesday’s plea brings the criminal case to a resolution through the negotiated agreement. Dube will serve the 22-year term in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, with an additional eight-year suspended sentence attached to the case.
Read also: LIHEAP regular assistance program deadline approaches with applications due by Aug. 31
According to the information released by authorities, the original report was received in March 2025, and ASP CID special agents subsequently investigated the allegations before Dube was taken into custody.
The case demonstrates the process that followed after allegations of sexual abuse involving a minor were reported to local authorities. The Conway County Sheriff’s Office requested the state police investigation, and ASP CID special agents handled the criminal investigation that resulted in Dube’s arrest.
Dube, who is 34, entered his guilty plea on Aug. 12, 2026. The negotiated plea resulted in a 22-year sentence in the Arkansas Department of Corrections and an eight-year suspended sentence.
The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division’s investigation began more than a year before the plea, following the March 22, 2025, request from the Conway County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation concluded with Dube’s arrest and, ultimately, his guilty plea and sentencing.
