Grand jury indicts defendants in Baldwin

A Baldwin County grand jury recently returned dozens of true bills of indictments against several defendants on criminal related charges.

Several of the defendants were indicted on drug related offenses, as well as for other charges, according to records filed in the office of Baldwin County Superior Court Clerk Mitch Longino. They include:

Cyrus Leo Giles, Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act (VGCSA) for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of drug related objects, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Shermon Rafheal Taylor, VGCSA for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule IV control substance with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and speeding.
Jarvis Antwon Thomas, VGCSA for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distibute, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Reagan Brooke Sanner, VGCSA for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, two counts of crossing the guard lines with drugs, and Violation of oath by a public officer.
Tracey Brantley, crossing the guard lines with a weapon, and trading with inmates.
Natalian Mequinesha Andrews, crossing the guard lines with drugs, and Violation of oath by a public officer.
Lagennie Janel Burton, conspiracy to commit furnishing prohibited items to inmates, and Violation of oath by a public officer.
Nicholas Chance Bentley, obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Brandon Cole Tipton, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, VGCSA, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, and speeding.
Reginald Franklin, VGCSA for trafficking methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, possession of prohibited items by inmates, and possession of a telecommunications device by an inmate.
Royce Eugene Mazingo, crossing the guard lines with a weapon, and possession of hydrocodone.
Quinterious Jaquion Finney, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Carlos Lutroy Adams, driving under the influence, and speeding.
Travis Bernard Butts, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, escape, and disorderly conduct.
David Vernard Greer, obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Angel Marie Todd, trading with inmates.
Nicholas Michael Peacock, failure to register as a sex offender.
Christopher Lee Prevatt, VGCSA for trafficking in methamphetamine, tampering with evidence, two counts of obstruction on a law enforcement officer, and having a defective windshield.
Larry Allen Attaway Jr., failure to register as a sex offender.
Ryan Wood, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, VGCSA for possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of marijuana less than an ounce, driving while license suspended, reckless driving, speeding, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
James Williams Jr., VGCSA for trafficking in cocaine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Grand jurors also returned a “no” bill of indictment against him on a charge of terroristic threats.
Joshua Nathaniel Johnson, aggravated stalking.
James Howard Darden, two counts of obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Eric Jermaine Marshall Jr., influencing a witness, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Jaden Dequan McGee,making a false statement.
Shaunya Laquae Morgan, cruelty to children in the second degree.
Kendall Terrill Saulsberry, VGCSA for sale of cocaine, and sale of marijuana.
Jarron Rashad Harris, VGCSA for two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of drug related objects.
Keyford Denard Lumpkin, VGCSA for possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of marijuana less than an ounce, and possession of drug related objects.
Cedric Calvin Yarbrough, driving while license suspended, and failure to wear seat safety belt, and VGCSA for possession of marijuana less than an ounce.
Dustin Kyle Duncan, aggravated stalking.
Amanda Lorine Curry and Daron Robert Hirtzler, were jointly indicted on a charge of cruelty to children in the second degree.
Nataiha Deanna Jones, criminal damage to property in the second degree.
Saahir Russian Salahuddin, VGCSA for possession of marijuana less than an ounce, crossing the guard lines with drugs, two counts of furnishing prohibited items to inmates, and tampering with evidence.
Jonathan Morgan Dickens, terroristic threats, and harassing communication.
Marcus Lauasaia Curtis, Violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act.

Carolyn Pounds Cook, 78, passed away Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Zebulon United Methodist Church Cemetery. Mrs. Cook was a life-long resident of Hancock County. She worked at McGaw for more than 25 years and retired from the Bank of…

Funeral services for Mrs. Annie Lee Crowder Ussery, 100, will be conducted Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, at 1 p.m. with the Rev. Bobby Coulter officiating. Interment will follow in Baldwin Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from noon until the service hour. Mrs…

Virginia Anne Falvey Frankenberger, 86, of Milledgeville, passed away Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. Funeral services for Virginia Frankenberger will be conducted Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, at 2 p.m. in Honey Creek Woodlands in Conyers with Father Young officiating. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Virgin…

Malvin Emanuel Berry, 81, went to his heavenly home on Saturday, Nov. 14 after an extended illness. Graveside services only will be held at 2 p.m. in Baldwin Memorial Gardens on Friday Nov 20, 2020. Masks and COVID social distancing are required. Malvin was a lifelong resident of Baldwin Cou…

Source: https://www.unionrecorder.com/news/grand-jury-indicts-defendants-in-baldwin/article_b966f2b4-28e1-11eb-9b4e-13fe8b2dc5a1.html

Fmr Georgia Resident Sentenced To 15+ Years Federal Prison For Distributing Child Pornography

A former Pelham, Georgia resident, caught by Homeland Security Investigations distributing large amounts of child pornography on social media while he was attempting to foster a child, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for his crimes last week, according to Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

Michael King, 42, of Little Falls, New York, formerly of Pelham, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner to 188 months in prison, the top of the federal guideline sentencing recommendations, to be followed by ten years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography. King will have to register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

HSI agents determined that Kik app user “Silent Dream 78” had posted images of child pornography to a Kik messenger chat group from July to August 2018, and the user was likely King. A search warrant was executed at King’s Pelham home on January 17, 2019, where agents found seven computer media items that contained child pornography. King admitted that his Kik user names were “Silent Dream 78” and “SilentDream1977” and that he had been downloading and viewing child pornography “for forever.” On five occasions, King used the Kik chat messenger app to share child pornography, including images involving very young children. During sentencing, the Court noted that King engaged in highly detailed ideation in the form of online text messages with another online collector of child pornography about having sex with a foster or adopted child and allowing another sex offender to have sex with the child when the child arrived. King claimed that the text messages were fantasy. However, the Court noted that the defendant and his wife were well along in the foster/adoption process. The defendant has been in custody since the execution of the search warrant at his home in January 2019.

“It is deeply disturbing that King was attempting to foster a child, while at the same time fantasizing about sexually harming a foster child and allowing another sexual predator to do the same. HSI agents stopped a child predator from doing irreparable harm to an innocent child. We must continue to bring the full force of the law against child sexual predators. Those individuals caught distributing child pornography will be prosecuted and will face federal prison, without parole,” and said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “We will not stop working alongside our federal, state and local partners to protect Georgia’s children and bring child predators to justice.”

“No sentence will ever bring back the innocence that this monster has stolen from countless helpless children,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to victimize our most vulnerable members of society and prosecute those predators to the fullest extent of the law.”

The case was investigated by the Pelham Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

Source: https://allongeorgia.com/georgia-public-safety/fmr-georgia-resident-sentenced-to-15-years-federal-prison-for-distributing-child-pornography/

Justice Dept.: ‘Poor judgment’ used in Epstein plea deal

By Associated Press | November 12, 2020 at 1:54 PM EST – Updated November 12 at 10:10 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Justice Department report has found that former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta exercised “poor judgment” in handling an investigation into wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein when he was a top federal prosecutor in Florida. But it also says he did not engage in professional misconduct.

The 350-page report, obtained by The Associated Press, marks the culmination of an investigation by the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility into Acosta’s handling of a secret plea deal with Epstein, who had been accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls.

Though the report faulted Acosta for his judgment, it concluded that his actions in arranging the deal did not constitute misconduct, and that none of the prosecutors involved committed misconduct in their interactions with the victims. The conclusions are likely to disappoint the victims, who have long hoped the internal investigation would hold Justice Department officials accountable for actions they say allowed Epstein to escape justice.

In a statement, Acosta expressed vindication at the report’s conclusion that he had not committed misconduct, saying it “fully debunks” allegations that he had cut a sweetheart deal for Epstein. He said the report confirmed that his decision to open an investigation into Epstein had resulted in a jail sentence and a sex offender registration for the financier.

“OPR’s report and public records document that without federal involvement, Epstein would have walked free,” Acosta said in the statement.

Under the 2008 non-prosecution agreement — also known as an NPA — Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work-release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender.

Epstein was later charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for nearly identical allegations in 2019, but he took his own life while in federal custody as he awaited trial. Acosta said the “Epstein affair” was vastly “more lurid and sweeping” than when he was first involved, an allusion to some of the high-profile names referenced in media reports as friends or associates of Epstein, and the fact that more evidence has now been assembled as additional victims have come forward.

In a separate statement, Marie Villafana, who was a lead prosecutor in the Florida investigation, said she was pleased OPR had completed the report but was “disappointed that it has not released the full report so the victims and the public can have a fuller accounting of the depth of interference that led to the patently unjust outcome in the Epstein case.

“That injustice, I believe, was the result of deep, implicit institutional biases that prevented me and the FBI agents who worked diligently on this case from holding Mr. Epstein accountable for his crimes,” she said.

Brad Edwards, an attorney for several of Epstein’s victims, called the report a “disappointing sidestep of the issue. He said the Justice Department “appears to have backed in to a desired result that is difficult to reconcile with the facts.”

“We are left still wondering why Jeffrey Epstein got the sweetheart deal he did and who exactly made the decision to transform a lengthy sex trafficking indictment into a non-prosecution agreement,” Edwards said.

The report was also condemned by Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who has questioned Justice Department officials about the plea deal repeatedly.

“Letting a well-connected billionaire get away with child rape and international sex trafficking isn’t ‘poor judgment’ – it is a disgusting failure. Americans ought to be enraged,” Sasse said. “Jeffrey Epstein should be rotting behind bars today, but the Justice Department failed Epstein’s victims at every turn.”

The OPR investigation centered on two aspects of the Epstein case — whether prosecutors committed misconduct by resolving the allegations through a non-prosecution agreement, and also whether they failed to keep victims adequately in the loop on developments in the case.

The report concluded that prosecutors did not commit misconduct in their interactions with the victims because there was no “clear and unambiguous duty” to consult with them before entering into the non-prosecution agreement. But it says the lack of consultation reflected poorly on the Justice Department and “is contradictory to the Department’s mission to minimize the frustration and confusion that victims of a crime endure.”

The internal probe also concluded that Acosta’s decision to resolve the federal investigation through the non-prosecution agreement constituted poor judgment. Investigators found that although it was within his broad discretion and did not result from “improper factors,” the agreement was nonetheless “a flawed mechanism for satisfying the federal interest that caused the government to open its investigation of Epstein.”

Still, the report concluded that Acosta had the authority as U.S. attorney “to resolve the case as he deemed necessary and appropriate, as long as his decision was not motivated or influenced by improper factors.”

The office said its investigation had turned up no evidence that Acosta was swayed by “impermissible considerations, such as Epstein’s wealth, status, or associations” and in fact had resisted efforts by defense lawyers to return the case to the state for whatever outcome the state wanted.

The report also did not find that a well-publicized 2007 breakfast meeting with one of Epstein’s attorneys led to the non-prosecution agreement — which had been signed weeks earlier — “or to any other significant decision that benefited Epstein.” Records reviewed by the professional responsibility office show that prosecutors weighed concerns about witness credibility and the impact of a trial on victims, as well as Acosta’s concerns about the Justice Department’s proper role in prosecuting solicitation crimes.

“Accordingly,” the report said, “OPR does not find that Acosta engaged in professional misconduct by resolving the federal investigation of Epstein in the way he did or that the other subjects committed professional misconduct through their implementation of Acosta’s decisions.”

Associated Press writer Jim Mustian in New York contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.walb.com/2020/11/12/justice-dept-poor-judgment-used-jeffrey-epstein-plea-deal/

Lee Co. Sheriff’s Office looking for wanted sex offender

By WALB News Team | November 12, 2020 at 11:08 AM EST – Updated November 12 at 11:08 AM

LEESBURG, Ga. (WALB) – The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that the agency is asking for help finding a wanted sex offender.

Jimmie Ray Williams is wanted for failing to register as a sex offender and failure to appear, the sheriff’s office said.

Williams is described as 5′4, 155 pounds, and has brown hair and hazel eyes.

The sheriff’s office said Williams is known to visit the Bainbridge area and has family in Jackson County, Fla.

Anyone with information on Williams’ whereabouts is asked to call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 759-6012.

Source: https://www.walb.com/2020/11/12/lee-co-sheriffs-office-looking-wanted-sex-offender/

Few legal wins so far as Trump team hunts for proof of fraud

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — During a Pennsylvania court hearing this week on one of the scores of election lawsuits brought by President Donald Trump, a judge asked a campaign lawyer whether he had found any signs of fraud found among the 592 ballots challenged.

The answer was no.

“Accusing people of fraud is a pretty big step,” said the lawyer, Jonathan Goldstein. “We’re all just trying to get an election done.”

Trump has not been so cautious, insisting without evidence that the election was stolen from him even when election officials nationwide from both parties say there has been no conspiracy.

On Wednesday, Trump took aim at Philadelphia, the Democratic stronghold that helped push President-elect Joe Biden over the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the race. The president accused a local Republican election official Al Schmidt, of ignoring “a mountain of corruption & dishonesty.” Twitter added a label that said the election fraud claim is disputed.

Trump loyalists have filed at least 15 legal challenges in Pennsylvania alone in an effort to reclaim the state’s 20 electoral votes. There is action, too, in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan.

In court, his lawyers must walk a precarious line between advocating for their client and upholding their professional oath.

Legal ethicists and pro-democracy activists have questioned the participation of lawyers in this quest, as Trump clings to power and President-elect Joe Biden rolls out his agenda.

“This may be an attempt to appease the ego in chief, but there are real world consequences for real people that come out of that,” said Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department elections official. “The attempt to soothe the president’s ego is not a victimless crime.”

Schmidt told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that his office has received death threats simply for counting votes.

“From the inside looking out, it feels all very deranged,” Schmidt said in an interview that aired Sunday. “Counting votes cast on or before Election Day by eligible voters is not corruption. It is not cheating. It is democracy.”

Untold voters, however, are accepting Trump’s claim about a rigged election and are donating to his legal fund.

A law firm involved in the election suits, Ohio-based Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, appeared to take down its Twitter feed Tuesday after it was inundated with attacks. The firm did not return messages seeking comment.

A second firm, Jones Day, said it was representing not the Trump campaign but the Pennsylvania GOP, in litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court over the three-day extension to accept mail-in ballots.

Nationally, the strategy is being run by Trump allies such as Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney; political operative David Bossie, who is not an attorney; and Jay Sekulow, a lead lawyer during the president’s impeachment trial this year. Bossie recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Election law expert Rick Hasen said he would expect to see top-drawer Supreme Court litigators involved, such as two former solicitors general, Paul Clement or Theodore Olson, if Trump had a strong case.

“There are certain names of elite lawyers that signal to the Supreme Court that something is serious,” said Hasen, a professor at the University of California, Irvine. Instead, “the campaign announced that it was putting Rudy Giuliani and David Bossie in charge.”

The low point of the effort undoubtedly came Saturday, when Giuliani held a news conference outside Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia just after the race was called for Biden. Standing in the shadow of a sex shop and a crematorium, just down the road from a state prison, Giuliani called a disgruntled poll watcher to the microphone to discuss the “shenanigans” in the city.

Political observers tuning in from nearby Trenton, New Jersey, immediately recognized the man as a convicted sex offender and perennial candidate for office.

In another head-scratching moment, as the campaign tried to stop the vote count in Philadelphia last week, a judge tried to get to the bottom of a Republican complaint over observer access in the room where election workers were processing mail-in ballots.

“I am asking you as a member of the bar of this court, are people representing the Donald J. Trump for president (campaign) … in that room?” U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond asked.

“There’s a nonzero number of people in the room,” campaign lawyer Jerome Marcus replied.

Diamond made the two sides forge an agreement and threatened to charge them with contempt if they didn’t keep the peace.

Some of the suits filed on Trump’s behalf appear to be hastily thrown together, with spelling errors (“ballet” for “ballot”), procedural mistakes and little to back up their claims. Judge have been skeptical.

In Michigan, Judge Cynthia Stephens dismissed one filing as “inadmissible hearsay within hearsay.” When Trump’s lawyers appealed, the next court kicked the filing back as “defective.”

The campaign has so far scored just one small victory, allowing their observers to stand a little closer to election workers processing the mail-in ballots in Philadelphia.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., insists the president is “100% within his rights” to look into fraud allegations and pursue his legal options. Attorney General William Barr has authorized the Justice Department to investigate “clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities.”

Either way, experts doubt the suits can reverse the outcome in a single state, let alone the election. Trump aides and allies have privately admitted as much, suggesting the challenges are designed more to stoke his base.

Source: https://thebrunswicknews.com/ap/national/few-legal-wins-so-far-as-trump-team-hunts-for-proof-of-fraud/article_9022c544-e74f-595d-87f8-f18bb5ad3894.html

Former Pelham resident sentenced for distributing child pornography

By Krista Monk| November 10, 2020 at 5:20 PM EST – Updated November 10 at 5:20 PM

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – A former Pelham resident was sentenced to federal prison after he was caught distributing large amounts of child pornography on social media while he was also attempting to foster a child, according to Charlie Peeler, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

A press release from Peeler’s office says Michael King, 42, of Little Falls, New York, formerly of Pelham, was sentenced after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography.

King was caught by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), according to Peeler.

Peeler said HSI agents determined that Kik app user “Silent Dream 78” had posted images of child pornography to a Kik messenger chat group from July to August 2018, and the user was likely King.

A search warrant was executed at King’s Pelham home on January 17, 2019, where agents found seven computer media items that contained child pornography, according to the press release.

King admitted that his Kik user names were “Silent Dream 78” and “SilentDream1977” and that he had been downloading and viewing child pornography “for forever,” Peeler reported. On five occasions, King used the Kik chat messenger app to share child pornography, including images involving very young children.

During sentencing, the court noted that King engaged in highly detailed ideation in the form of online text messages with another online collector of child pornography about having sex with a foster or adopted child and allowing another sex offender to have sex with the child when the child arrived, according to Peeler’s office.

The release states that King claimed that the text messages were fantasy. However, the court noted that the defendant and his wife were well along in the foster/adoption process. The defendant has been in custody since the execution of the search warrant at his home in January 2019.

“It is deeply disturbing that King was attempting to foster a child, while at the same time fantasizing about sexually harming a foster child and allowing another sexual predator to do the same. HSI agents stopped a child predator from doing irreparable harm to an innocent child. We must continue to bring the full force of the law against child sexual predators. Those individuals caught distributing child pornography will be prosecuted and will face federal prison, without parole,” said Peeler. “We will not stop working alongside our federal, state and local partners to protect Georgia’s children and bring child predators to justice.”

King was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. King will also have to register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

“No sentence will ever bring back the innocence that this monster has stolen from countless helpless children,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to victimize our most vulnerable members of society and prosecute those predators to the fullest extent of the law.”

Source: https://www.walb.com/2020/11/10/former-pelham-resident-sentenced-distributing-child-pornography/

Thomas Co. Sheriff’s Office looking for 2 wanted men

By WALB News Team | November 6, 2020 at 2:51 PM EST – Updated November 6 at 2:51 PM

Ricky Davis, Jr. is wanted for failure to register as a sex offender and probation violation.

Anthony Akery is wanted for failure to register as a sex offender, robbery and probation violation.

The sheriff’s office said there is a reward for the arrest of both men.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of either man is asked to call the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 225-3315 or Thomas County Dispatch at (229) 225-4151.

Source: https://www.walb.com/2020/11/06/thomas-co-sheriffs-office-looking-wanted-men/

Fmr Soldier Pleads Guilty In GA-FL Child Sexual Exploitation Case

A former U.S. Army Specialist has pleaded guilty in a child exploitation case, after sneaking a Florida teen on base and taking more than 100 photos and films of her in the nude, said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

Samuel Ray Robinson, 23, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, October 27, to one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity before U.S. District Judge Clay D. Land. Robinson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of life. Defendant will also be required to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system. His sentencing hearing is set for December 17, 2020.

According to the stipulation of fact entered in court, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Fort Benning CID Office was contacted on June 14, by the Walton County, Florida Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) regarding a 13 year old female runaway (Victim 1), who left her Santa Rosa Beach, Florida residence on or about May 27. On June 2, Victim 1 contacted her mother via cellphone and provided her with a “pin” of her location at a Columbus motel. Local Columbus authorities were dispatched to the hotel, and Victim 1 was transported back to Florida.

A forensic examination of the phone revealed Victim 1’s phone “pinged” on Fort Benning between May 27 and June 2, and she had been communicating with Robinson. During an interview with agents, Robinson admitted he met Victim 1 online and picked her up at a gas station in Destin, Florida. Robinson also admitted he knew the victim was a minor when he picked her up, thinking her to be 15 years old. Robinson snuck Victim 1 onto Fort Benning, where she stayed for six nights, engaging in sexual intercourse. Victim 1 was also filmed and photographed in the nude by Robinson more than 100 times.

“Robinson targeted a vulnerable minor online, took her hours away from home, and kept her hidden, abusing her repeatedly. He will pay a steep penalty for his egregious crime—federal prison without parole,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to thank Fort Benning CID, the Columbus authorities and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office for investigating this case and bringing the victim safely home.”

“Robinson’s behavior is not tolerated in the U.S. Army and hopefully this will be of some solace to his victim and prevent him from targeting other such vulnerable people,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Micah Rush. “I want to thank all of the investigative and legal efforts made by the Special Agents of the Fort Benning CID Office, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s office.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Fort Benning CID Office (CID) and Walton County, Florida Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) with assistance from the Columbus Police Department (CPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker is prosecuting the case for the Government.

Source: https://allongeorgia.com/georgia-public-safety/fmr-soldier-pleads-guilty-in-ga-fl-child-sexual-exploitation-case/

Man caught in empty house after escaping through jail fence

AMERICUS, Ga. (AP) — A county inmate was recaptured Tuesday in southwest Georgia after escaping Sunday through the jail fence.

Sumter County Chief Deputy Eric Bryant told WALB-TV that Charlie Lester was found in an abandoned house in Americus.

Lester escaped from the Sumter County jail, where he was being held on charges including rape, sodomy, aggravated sodomy, enticing a child and other sex offenses. He escaped, while outside for recreation, through multiple layers of fencing. Bryant said Lester may have broken part of the fence, but said the barrier has been repaired and that additional reinforced fencing may be added.

Officials arrested two other people Tuesday who they believe helped Lester escape or hide, Bryant said. Their names were not released and no charges were announced.

Lester will face additional charges of escape, Bryant said.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, WALB-TV.

Source: https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/state_news/man-caught-in-empty-house-after-escaping-through-jail-fence/article_7f7a5bb8-7a36-5f9b-8c97-020d3b9a9696.html

Georgia man admits possessing child pornography

An Evans man awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.

Oludare Oluwabusi, 43, of Evans, pled guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography before U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, a requirement for registration as a sex offender, and a period of supervised release after completion of the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Each time they are created, stored, shared or viewed, images of child pornography represent the encapsulated, continual victimization of minors,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Possessing images of child pornography is a violation of the law, it is sickening and it is depraved, and with the collaboration of our vigilant law enforcement partners, we will not tolerate it.”

As outlined in court documents and testimony, in April, FBI agents acted on a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children when they searched Oluwabusi’s home in Riverwood Plantation. An agent later testified in court to finding graphic images of child pornography on multiple devices belonging to Oluwabusi that were seized from the home.

“The FBI will always make it a top priority to keep our children safe and work with our federal, state and local partners to track down anyone involved in this abhorrent behavior,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.

The FBI is investigating the case, which is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

Source: https://allongeorgia.com/georgia-public-safety/georgia-man-admits-possessing-child-pornography/