A convicted child rapist made a chilling promise to 'rape the first woman he sees' after his release from police custody in Arkansas, a sheriff warned.

John West, 38, was jailed for the rape of a four-year-old girl who lived at his home in Hempstead County in July 1996.

He was arrested last month for disorderly conduct and transported to a hospital in Little Rock for an evaluation, Hope Police said.

John West, 38, was jailed for the rape of a four-year-old girl who lived at his home in Hempstead County in July 1996

Courtesy of KTAL

Sheriff James Singleton then warned the public to 'take caution' around West after he told hospital staff 'he will rape the first woman he sees' after his release on May 6.

A statement from the Hempstead County Sheriff's Office said: 'He is telling the hospital personnel that he will not stay on his medication, when he walks out of the hospital.

'He is also telling the hospital staff that he will rape the first woman he sees so he can come back to [Arkansas Department of Corrections].'

It is believed West suffers from 'mental illness' and is stable when on medication - but he has told staff he will not take it.

Sheriff James Singleton warned the public to 'take caution' around West after he told hospital staff 'he will rape the first woman he sees' after his release on Monday (Pictured, Hempstead County Sheriff's Office)

West, who is said to be homeless, also reported that he 'has previously had command hallucinations that told him to rape a woman'.

Sheriff Singleton said: 'West reported that he has previously had command hallucinations that told him to rape a woman.'

West was arrested just hours after his release on Monday, May 6 after deputies responded to an alert and was transported to the Hempstead County Detention Center.

A statement said: 'On Monday at approximately 7:00pm, Hempstead County Deputies arrested John Mark West the subject of an Alert earlier in the day.

'He was transported to the Hempstead County Detention Center where he is being held on the original charge brought by Hope Police last week.'