what's this world coming to...this should be a "no brainer". Lock these two up for a very long time.
Two Augusta men accused of settling an alleged debt by raping a woman must wait in jail for possible indictment and trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.
After hearing the prosecutor outline the facts of the current case and recite the long history of arrests, including sex crimes by one, Judge James G. Blanchard Jr. denied bond for the pair in Richmond County Superior Court.
Tommy C. Middleton, 54, and Gerald Wayne Smith, 41, were arrested April 12 and charged with rape.
Assistant District Attorney Geoffrey Fogus told the judge that a woman walked into the sheriff's substation in south Augusta that night and told officers she had been raped by both men at Mr. Middleton's Peach Orchard Road home.
Mr. Middleton told police the assault was Mr. Smith's idea because the woman owed him money. Mr. Smith told officers that it was Mr. Middleton's idea because she owed Mr. Middleton money. Mr. Middleton corroborated the woman's statement that Mr. Smith threatened to bust her head open if she talked, Mr. Fogus said.
Mr. Middleton's 12 encounters with police date back to a drug arrest in 1991. Only one of his arrests had occurred within the past 10 years, and none involved sexual assault, said his attorney, Alexia Davis of the public defender's office.
Mr. Smith's record of arrests dates back to 1992 and includes at least three peeping Tom cases. In 2003 he pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, a reduction from the initial charges that included multiple counts of aggravated sodomy and kidnapping charges. He is still on probation.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
what's this world coming to...this should be a "no brainer". Lock these two up for a very long time.
This is quite the pair. I'll bet there's more to come.
Two idiots..
Both of these punks were perverts to begin with. They have shown through their actions, that they are a danger to the general public. Lock them up and throw away the keys.
So much for the theory that "peeping toms" never escalate to rape.
isn't it refreshing to know scum like this is free to roam the streets over and over until they graduate to habitual offender status and end up in prison?many people say release the non violent criminals and save the taxpayers money, say what! how do you save money when you release them and they do nothing all day but beat off of the system? they do not pay taxes,and most never will.they will be a burden or simply a write off until they leave this world.leave them in prison build more prisons, hire more employees,and let the rest of us live in peace.the taxpayers get screwed any way you look at it, atleast you can sleep better at night not worrying if some crack head loser is lurking around your neighborhood looking for something to steal and sell.
They should be locked away. The victim hopefully learned a lesson. Be careful who you hang with. I am sure she knew they were no angels.
the police did not tell the whole story. the girl that was raped walks the streets of south augusta around the hephzibah area because she is a crack whore. ask anyone in that area. that was the debt she owed.
Are you for well rjay...Just because this girl walks the streets in South Augusta for crack gives these two scum bags permission to rape someone!!!Well then if that girl was your child and it happened to her did she deserve it?I think not.Beside Smith was on probation and knew better.Rape is rape no matter how you want to look at it.
Dr. Pierce Gordon Blanchard is proudly looking down upon his grandson's decisive move to protect the women and girls of The Augusta Judicial Circuit.
thanks rjay, I suspected there was more to this story then was posted here. Of course, that still doesn't give anyone the right to rape. The girls lifestyle does lend itself to danger though.
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