A sheriff in Georgia has pleaded guilty to gropingJudge Glenda Hatchett.
11Alive/Youtube
“As I turned to my left to focus back on the two of them, I saw his hand go down on her left breast,” Brown told the outlet. “I grabbed his arm, threw it off of her chest, and basically said, ‘What are you [expletive] think you’re doing?’ and that’s basically where it ended.”
According to the Associated Press, Coody pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery and was given one year of probation, a $500 fine, and sentenced to 400 hours of community service. Coody was also sentenced to a psychosexual evaluation and alcohol and drug course,according to 13WMAZ, which his lawyer, Joel Pugh, shared with the outlet has already been completed. PEOPLE has reached out to Pugh’s office for comment.
In a statement shared with 13WMAZ, Cody confirmed his guilty plea and that he had resigned as sheriff of Bleckley County. He held the position since 2017, per the Associated Press.
Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody.Cobb County Sheriffâs Office
Cody reflected on his time in law enforcement as one of “privilege and honor” and thanked his community for the opportunity to serve as sheriff.
“I would like to express that it has been an honor to serve the citizens of Bleckley County and I appreciate the support I have always received and continue to receive from them along with the entire staff of the Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office,” the statement added. “I would like to apologize to the citizens of Bleckley County for the entirety of this unfortunate incident.”
“I had to file charges. There had to be accountability because the message needs to be clear that you cannot do this,” she added. “How dare you do this? And if he would do this to me after being introduced to him as Judge Hatchett, what else is happening?”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
