Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Jonesboro man faces multiple felony charges and life in prison after deputies said he tied his ex-girlfriend up, beat her until she lost consciousness, and sexually assaulted her.

District Judge David Boling found probable cause on May 27 to charge 45-year-old Jonathan Brian Poynor with the following felonies:

• First-degree false imprisonment (kidnapping)/risk of serious injury (Class Y)
• Aggravated assault on a family or household member (Class D)
• Second-degree sexual assault (Class D)
• Terroristic threatening/threatens to cause death or serious physical injury (Class D)

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The charges stem from a report that the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office received on May 21. A victim explained to them that she had been held against her will and sexually assaulted by Poynor, her ex-boyfriend, a day prior, and did not report it sooner because she was afraid that Poynor would try to kill her.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim went to Poynor’s home on County Road 379, and the two began talking at the end of a bed. Poynor said he was going to kill her and one of her friends. He went out of the room and came back with a rope in his hand, and he pushed the victim back on the bed, got on top of her, and forced her hands into the rope.

The victim said Poynor tied her hands behind her back and started hitting her in the face, and dragged her into the bathroom, where he forced her head into the sink. She noted that the rope was long because Poynor kept tripping over it while dragging her.

Poynor then dragged the victim back into the bedroom, where he kept hitting her in the face and standing on her throat until she lost consciousness. The victim said she remembered waking up on the shower floor with water running over her while she was still tied up. At some point, she was moved back to the bed where she agreed to have sex with Poynor to gain his trust due to her being scared he was going to kill her.

At that point, the victim said Poynor’s phone rang. Poyner told the victim it was his probation officer asking him to come see him. She asked to leave as she needed to go to the hospital, but he refused as he was worried that she would tell authorities what happened. She said she would tell them that she got into a fight with another woman if anyone asked, and he decided to let her go. It was later confirmed that the probation officer did speak with Poynor.

Deputies noted several injuries to the victim’s face and arms consistent with her statements. Some of those injuries included a broken nose, a black eye, and a busted blood vessel in her left eye. She also told them that every time she stood up, she would get dizzy.

The online jail roster shows that Poynor was arrested at 9 a.m. on May 26. He is being held on a $125,000 cash/surety bond due to having a history of domestic offenses stemming from 2004 until 2017. He will have to wear a GPS ankle monitor upon release and must have no contact with the victim.

Poynor’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 30. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to life in prison and fines up to $30,000.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic/sexual violence, call 800-656-HOPE (4673) to reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline.

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