News Release from the office of South Georgia District Attorney Joe Mulholland
The week of Decatur County trials for the adjourned November term of Superior Court consisted of approximately 85 criminal cases.
One case of significant note was the case of Kenneth Wayne Meredith. Mr. Meredith was charged with one count of Felony Child Molestation, Criminal Attempt to Commit a Felony, and nine counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children. The four day trial began Monday, February 9, 2015 and ended Thursday, February 12, 2015 with the jurors finding Mr. Meredith guilty on all 11 counts. Chief Assistant Mike Bankston began the four day jury trial on Monday, February 9, 2015 with the assistance of GBI Agent Mike Walsingham. Mr. Meredith was found guilty on all 11 counts.
Mr. Meredith was sentenced to 35 years probation after serving 15 years in a state penal system by Honorable Judge Richard Porter. Meredith will also have to register as a sex offender.
With the assistance of GBI agent Mike Walsingham and the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, evidence showed that Mr. Kenneth Wayne Meredith, between the 6th day of July, 2013, and the 4th day of August, 2013, in Decatur County, Georgia, did commit an immoral and indecent act to a child under the age of 16 years, with the intent to arouse and satisfy the sexual desires of himself by accused touching said child’s vagina with his hand.
The evidence also proved Sexual Exploitation of Children on or about the 8th day of October, 2013, in Decatur County, Georgia, that Mr. Meredith did knowingly possess and control a cellular phone, a Samsung Galaxy S-4 with a SD card in said phone containing material depicting a minor, a child under 14 years of age, displaying a portion of said minor’s body, to-wit: her genitals and pubic area, being a lewd exhibition of said child’s body. Chief Assistant, Michael Bankston for the South Georgia Judicial Circuit, stated, “ we hope that the families of these children can now have a little closure knowing that Mr.Meredith has been accountable for his horrendous conduct and crime. ”
At least 85 other defendants were arrested, charged, and entered pleas of guilty this week in Deatur County. The defendants were sentenced to serve some time in custody or lengthy probation. Joseph K. Mulholland, District Attorney for the South Georgia Judicial Circuit, stated, “This was a great week for our office and we were able to secure pleas in most all of our cases. We also would like to thank and commend the officers of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, Bainbridge Pubic Safety, Bainbridge State College Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for their outstanding and diligent work this trial term.”
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