Tommy Callaway, the Pittman Park United Methodist Church youth minister who slapped a reporter’s butt during a race in an incident caught on video, pleaded guilty to charges of sexual battery on Tuesday in a court in Georgia.
Callaway had initially issued a half-hearted non-pology in December, saying he meant to touch reporter Alex Bozarjian on her back — which didn’t make him look any better — but after she pressed charges, he quickly turned himself in.
According to her police report, Callaway committed a “smack and grab” in which he also “grabbed her buttocks in the same motion.” That was a far cry from Callaway’s own insistence that he was just trying to wave to the camera and simply got “caught up in the moment.”
The church put out a statement in December saying Callaway had “stepped back” from his role there, which was in a voluntary capacity, but a glance at the church’s Facebook page shows him posting items. So no real change there.
The Associated Press reported on what his guilty plea means:
Thomas Callaway was sentenced to a year on probation and fined $1,000 after entering his plea, according to records filed in Chatham County Recorder’s Court. The judge also ordered him to perform 200 hours of community service.
Bozarjian also commented on how she at least has “closure” after all of this.
After nine months I finally got some closure. I’d say this is where accountability meets forgiveness. Thank you to all of you who’ve supported me through this. Your body, your rules. We’re doing better in 2020. pic.twitter.com/XjzEDKUEuM
— Alex Bozarjian (@wsavalexb) September 2, 2020
As she says so eloquently, no one should have to deal with unwanted touching. Kudos to her for not letting this slide. If nothing else, maybe it’ll give other disgusting men pause before ever doing something similar.
(via Law & Crime. Thanks to Keith for the link. Portions of this article were published earlier)
