A candidate for a Warren County Justice Court seat was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with sexual battery of a child under the age of 14 and later with felony escape after he ran from the police station during booking.

Lester Smith, 53, 1204 Howard St., was taken into custody on the sexual battery charge at about 8:15 at the Vicksburg Police Department, Lt. Bobby Stewart said.

Stewart said the charge was based on a May 12 complaint from a “concerned citizen.” The child, Stewart said, is a 12-year-old male who is not related to Smith and does not live in his house. However, he said, Smith had “constant contact” with the child.

After being handcuffed for booking, Smith ran out the front door of the police station and made it about three blocks to the corner of Walnut and Crawford streets before being caught, Stewart said. He was returned to the station and charged with felony escape.

Smith also is facing an arson charge from May when, Stewart said, he attempted to burn a tow truck that was trying to remove his vehicle from a neighbor’s lawn.

Because Smith had been out of the Warren County Jail on a $10,000 bond on the arson charge, no bond was set during his arraignment Wednesday before Vicksburg Municipal Court Judge Nancy Thomas, Stewart said.

Stewart said that all three charges against Smith — for arson, escape and sexual battery — likely will be presented to the October term of the Warren County grand jury. He remained in the county jail this morning.

County records show Smith qualified last month to run for justice court judge in Warren County’s Central District, a position from which Richard Bradford resigned in October and James E. Jefferson Jr. was appointed to fill until the election.

Jefferson is seeking to keep the post in the Nov. 2 general election. Smith and four others also have filed — Audrey Jones Jackson, Henry Earl Phillips Jr., LeVern W. Powell and Rudolph Walker. Candidates have until Sept. 3 to qualify. The charges against Smith, unless they result in convictions, will not bar him from seeking the justice court job. In Mississippi, candidates for justice court judge must be qualified voters and residents of the county in which they are elected for at least two years preceding balloting. Candidates must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Though judges must complete state training programs, they are not required to be practicing attorneys or hold law degrees.

Justice court judges hear small-claims cases of up to $3,500, misdemeanor criminal cases and any traffic offenses occurring outside city limits. They also conduct bond hearings and preliminary hearings in felony criminal cases, and have authority to issue search warrants.

Smith reaffirmed his desire to seek the job while leaving his arraignment Wednesday.

“I’m running for justice court judge, and now I’m a child molester?” he shouted. “When I get elected, I’m going to have that judge (Thomas) disbarred.”