Crime

Kansas man whose son is accused of killing two boys is charged with sex crimes

The father of a Leavenworth County man who is charged with killing his two young sons has been charged with two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

According to a criminal complaint filed on Feb. 23, Donald Jackson Sr., of Easton, allegedly touched a child inappropriately between July and August 2019, in Leavenworth County.

Several months earlier, in June, Jackson was arrested for the same charges in a separate incident between August 2018 and December 2019, according to an affidavit.

The victims in both cases were under the age of 14 at the time of the alleged crime, court records show. The Star does not typically identify the victims of sex crimes, particularly those who are juveniles.

Officials on Wednesday confirmed to The Star that Jackson, who was 62 at the time of his first arrest, is the father of Donald Jackson Jr., who is accused of fatally shooting his young sons in October.

At the time of the younger Jackson’s initial arrest, officials would not confirm that he and Donald Jackson Sr. were related.

In a motion for bond filed in June, the elder Jackson’s attorney argued that he was a lifelong resident of Leavenworth County with no history or arrests or convictions. Jackson’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

The attorney said Jackson had been married for 41 years and for 22 years owned and operated a poll construction business until his retirement, court records show.

Jackson’s bond was set at $100,000. He posted $10,000 bond in July. As part of his bond agreement, he was ordered not to come in contact with the victim.

He again posted bail after his bond was set at $100,000 this spring, though the state had requested his bond be set at $500,000. He bonded out on March 29.

His son remains in the Leavenworth County Jail.

An affidavit charging the younger Jackson with capital murder confirmed his sons — 12-year-old Austin and 14-year-old Logan — were found shot on Oct. 24 at Jackson’s home at 14970 Hillside Road in rural Leavenworth. Jackson was 40 at the time of his arrest last fall.

One of the boys suffered one gunshot wound; the other was shot twice, records show. Police recovered shell casings from the home.

Amber Alerts were issued in multiple states after family members found the boys dead. Their younger sisters, who were 7 and 3, were missing.

Hours later, Jackson was arrested by officers in Beckham County, Oklahoma. The girls were in the car with him.

The elder Jackson is scheduled to appear in court for a competency hearing on May 28 via Zoom. Donald Jackson Jr.’s next court appearance, a status hearing, is scheduled for May 20.

Anna Spoerre
The Kansas City Star
Anna Spoerre covers breaking news for the Kansas City Star. Before joining The Star in 2020, she covered crime and courts for the Des Moines Register. Spoerre is a graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she studied journalism.
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