DALTON, Ga. — A Rocky Face man pleaded guilty in Murray County Superior Court to aggravated child molestation in Murray County and sexual exploitation of a child in Whitfield County and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Cody Trent Ware, 22, was indicted in Murray County in 2018 on charges of aggravated child molestation and statutory rape. He was indicted in 2017 in Whitfield County on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and computer and electronic child exploitation. All are felonies.

Chief Superior Court Judge William T. Boyett sentenced Ware to 20 years, with 10 in prison and 10 on probation, for aggravated child molestation. Ware was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to run concurrent with the other sentence, for the sexual exploitation charge. Ware must also pay a $1,000 fine, perform 100 hours of community service, pay court costs and fees, and abide by sex offender conditions.

According to the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, Ware was 19 in November of 2016 when he was arrested and charged with statutory rape for having sex with a 14-year-old female runaway. A Whitfield County deputy had stopped Ware’s car with the female inside, and the Murray sheriff’s office said an investigation determined the sexual act happened in Murray County.

HOMERVILLE — A man has been sentenced for sex crimes in Clinch County, according to the district attorney’s office.

Charlie Ben Curry Jr., 50, pleaded guilty to enticing a child for indecent purposes and to sexual battery against a person under 16 years of age, according to a statement from the office of Alapaha District Attorney Dick Perryman.

The sentence handed down was for 30 years, with the first eight to be served in the Georgia prison system, the statement said.

Curry pleaded guilty to the charges stemming from his sexual contact with a teenage girl, Perryman’s statement said.

If Curry completes his prison sentence, he will spend the remainder of his life on probation, including sex offender registration and sex offender probation conditions. Curry will also be banished for 30 years from 10 South Georgia counties including Clinch, Atkinson, Lanier, Cook and Berrien, the statement said.

Curry was sentenced by Chief Superior Court Judge Howard McClain.

“The things this man has done are inexcusable and I am proud we have been able to secure a lengthy prison sentence and his complete banishment from our community. It is a top priority of my office to prosecute people who harm children. I am grateful for the hard work and effort from my staff including Assistant District Attorney Annika Register. I must also commend the work of the Homerville Police Department. While the innocence lost at the hands of this man can never be recovered, I am pleased with the outcome of this case,” Perryman said in his statement.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.