John Lang v. State of Arkansas

── John Lang v. State of Arkansas ── Court: Court of Appeals of Arkansas Date: March 11, 2026 Category: General Cite as 2026 Ark. App. 171 ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION II No. CR-25-338 JOHN LANG Opinion Delivered March 11, 2026 APPELLANT APPEAL FROM THE GREENE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT V. [NO. 28CR-23-421] STATE OF ARKANSAS HONORABLE RANDY F. PHILHOURS, APPELLEE JUDGE AFFIRMED STEPHANIE POTTER BARRETT, Judge A Greene County Circuit Court jury convicted appellant, John Lang (“Lang”), of two counts of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault. He was sentenced to an aggregate term of seventy years’ imprisonment in the Arkansas Division of Correction. On appeal, Lang argues there is insufficient evidence to support his rape convictions. We affirm. On July 21, 2023, Lang was charged by felony information with two counts of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault involving a minor victim (“MV1”) under the age of fourteen. The State later filed an amended felony information reflecting the same charges on December 16, 2024. A jury trial was held on December 17, 2024. At trial, MV1 testified that Lang lived with her family when she was approximately eleven years old. She stated that Lang was married to her aunt, Mo Shem, at the time and that they shared a room for several years. MV1 further testified that, during the period Lang lived in the home, he engaged in conduct toward her that made her uncomfortable and was inappropriate. She testified that these acts happened between the ages of eleven and thirteen. MV1 testified that Lang would rub her vagina with his fingers, both over and under her clothing. She stated Lang would rub her vagina with her clothes on once or twice a week. MV1 also stated he would rub his penis on her vagina, and he would try to put her fingers in her vagina when she did not have clothes on. MV1 explained that when he placed his fingers in her vagina, he would insert them only “a little bit” and “not all the way” because it hurt her. She testified he also “lick[ed]” her vagina on two occasions. MV1 recalled that Lang tried to insert his penis in her vagina on one or two occasions. She stated that “he would push hard and – like he would take his penis and push it in, but it didn’t go in because I told him to stop because it hurt.” In response to questioning, MV1 confirmed it started hurting when Lang’s penis was “a little bit” inside her vagina, and he tried to insert it further. MV1 explained the acts occurred in the shared bedroom, where Lang would lock the door and place a blanket over her head beforehand. In 2023, after Lang moved out of the house, MV1 eventually disclosed these incidents to her mother. Following the disclosure, MV1 went to the police station and spoke with an officer about Lang. After MV1 testified, the State called three additional witnesses whose testimony related to other alleged incidents involving Lang. An eleven-year-old second minor victim (“MV2”) testified that Lang is her cousin and that he lived with her in 2023 for a few months. She further testified that Lang touched her boobs and rubbed her vagina above her clothes 2 a few times and that it occurred in the living room or downstairs or in her parents’ room. A seventeen-year-old third minor victim (“MV3”) testified that one time after she was done showering, she went to the room to get her clothes. When she went into the room, Lang was in there. He reached under her towel and grabbed her breast. She also testified that he once cuddled her while she wa