By Marcus K. Garner
A former DeKalb County police
officer accused of molesting a girl will spend five years in jail, prosecutors
said.
Manuel Williams pleaded guilty
today to child molestation charges that accused him of inappropriately touching
a girl in September 2012 while she was at his home.
Williams was arrested in
October and resigned from the DeKalb County Police Department, where he’d spent
18 years, authorities said.
He was indicted last month on
three counts of molestation, with prosecutors accusing him of kissing the girl
on her neck and touching her inappropriately.
“[Williams] took an oath to
protect and serve the people of DeKalb County. Instead, he molested a
vulnerable young child,” DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James said in a
statement emailed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s always
disheartening to see sworn officers violate the public’s trust.”
An arrest warrant obtained by
The AJC said that the victim reported the alleged incident in a letter to her
mother approximately a year later.
The warrant also said Williams
confessed.
Williams, through his attorney
Gerald Griggs, vehemently denied the accusations and police assertions that he
made a confession. He also questioned the girl’s story, noting the time lapse
in reporting it.
By phone Tuesday, Griggs
wouldn’t acknowledge Williams’ guilt, saying his client wanted to stay out of
court.
“He wanted to avoid having to
put his family through a painful trial,” Griggs told The AJC. “So he accepted
responsibility.”
Williams was released from jail
on $10,000 bond after his October arrest. He must turn himself in on Friday,
Griggs said.
He will serve five years in
state prison followed by five years of probation, prosecutors said.
Williams’ police certification
was suspended by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, and
he must register as a sex offender, authorities said.
