George Joyner - Pleads Guilty to molesting 7 year old

George Joyner knew his victim for years before the girl's mother learned about the abuse.

The mother chose not to speak before the judge Thursday as she watched the 26-year-old man who molested her 7-year-old daughter plead guilty to child molestation.

Joyner was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by 10 years probation, by Muscogee County Superior Court Judge Robert Johnston III. The sentence was part of a plea agreement reached between Assistant District Attorney Michael Craig and defense attorney J. Mac Pilgrim.

A charge of aggravated child molestation was dropped.

"The issue we have in the case is there is an inadvertent technical error," Craig told the judge. "It was a technical violation."

Pilgrim agreed, saying he had viewed a video of Columbus Police Cpl. Len Wills' interview with his client.

"There are some venue issues. There are some Miranda issues," Pilgrim said.

Craig later said that when a defendant asks for an attorney, all questioning must stop. If it doesn't, District Attorney Gray Conger said a judge could prohibit statements made after the request from entering evidence.

The mother learned about the abuse when she saw her daughter running around her front yard on Feb. 24 without any pants, Craig said. When asked for a reason why she was naked, the girl said the defendant showed her how.

The victim told authorities about a specific instance of molestation and claimed other instances. On March 23, Joyner took a polygraph test and failed, leading him to admit he molested the girl, Craig said.

Joyner was arrested that day and has remained in custody.

"He also watched her take baths and things of that nature," the prosecutor said.

Craig said the victim's mother understands the evidence the prosecution can and can't use in the case, and that her daughter would have had to testify at a trial.

"She wanted the case to be over so the child can move on," Craig said.