Warrant issued for ex-cop

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999 | 10:22 a.m.

A Clark County district judge issued a bench warrant Tuesday for a former Metro Police officer who failed to show up for his second resentencing hearing.

Arthur Lee Sewall Jr., 33, was sentenced to five years probation in August after confessing that he used his position as a police officer to force two prostitutes to perform sex acts.

Prosecutors, however, asked District Judge Jeffrey Sobel to reconsider Sewall's sentence after they learned that two weeks before he was sentenced Sewall was arrested in San Diego for allegedly soliciting a prostitute.

Tuesday's resentencing hearing was scheduled when Sewall failed to show up at a hearing last week.

One of Sewall's defense attorneys, Christopher Oram, said he learned late Monday night that his client hadn't been told about Tuesday's hearing.

Sobel replied that that was the same excuse he heard last week and said he hoped the bench warrant would give Sewall the "incentive necessary" to make a hearing Thursday.

Should Sewall be arrested before Thursday's hearing he will not be allowed to post bail.

One victim told authorities that an off-duty Sewall picked her up, drove her to a deserted alley and asked her what she would do in exchange for not going to jail. The woman said Sewall, whom she recognized as a police officer from earlier contacts with him, then sexually assaulted her.

The second victim told police that Sewall caught her with drug paraphernalia, made her take him to her apartment and then forced her to perform oral sex on him.