Man arrested for statutory rape
SODDY-DAISY - George Gaines, 48, faces one count of aggravated statutory rape and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in connection to his alleged relationship with a 17-year-old girl who has special education needs.
Detectives opened a criminal investigation into the Lafayette resident after an assistant principal at Soddy Daisy High School found him alone with the girl in a parked car on the outskirts of the school parking lot, according to court documents.
The girl said she kissed Gaines, but denied further contact. She said Gaines bought her an iPhone when her parents took her phone away. Investigators said Gaines admitted having a sexual relationship with the girl and said he video chatted with her and took screenshots of her when she was nude. Ten photos of the girl consistent with child pornography were found on a phone in the car. Text messages discussing the girl possibly being pregnant were also found.
Gaines will next appear in court Thursday. Because some of the photos were taken while the two were in separate states, detectives briefed a federal prosecutor on the incident. A special agent with the Chattanooga FBI field office said the case is being reviewed for federal prosecution.
City wins grant to process rape kits
MEMPHIS - Memphis will receive more than a million dollars in grant money from the U.S. Department of Justice to finish processing untested rape kits.
The Commercial Appeal reports that Congressman Steve Cohen announced the $1.07 million grant on Friday. As of August, the Memphis Police Department reported 479 kits still in storage, with another 2,813 awaiting testing at forensic laboratories. The department has processed and analyzed nearly three-quarters of a backlog that at its 2013 peak reached 12,000 kits.
The city received two grants worth a combined $3.9 million in 2015 to pay for rape kit testing.
Cohen has also amended the House appropriations package to add funding for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which would receive $49 million if the package is approved.
Two officers, suspect hospitalized after chase
MADISON, ALA. - A suspect and two police officers in Alabama have been hospitalized following a chase. News outlets report Madison police responded to a report of a domestic dispute Sunday evening. Capt. Terrell Cook told WAAY-TV that the suspect left the scene and rammed into a police vehicle, injuring an officer inside.
Cook said the suspect rammed a second officer's vehicle after a chase ensued. The officer fired shots at the suspect as he ran through the neighborhood. Investigators said no one was hit. Police caught the suspect a short time later.
The two police officers and the suspect were in the hospital as of Sunday night. Their conditions were unknown. Neither the suspect nor the officers have been identified. Charges are pending.
Court: Church service outburst protected
ATLANTA - Georgia's highest court has reversed the conviction of a man who was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after he held up his middle finger and shouted at his pastor during a service.
The unanimous opinion issued Monday says David Justin Freeman's behavior amounts to speech protected by the First Amendment.
Pastor Jason Berry of 12Stone Church in Flowery Branch asked teachers to stand for recognition during a service in August 2014. The court's opinion says Freeman, a homeschooling father, stood and raised his middle finger in the air and then began yelling after the pastor finished his prayer.
A sheriff's deputy arrived and Freeman was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Berry testified at trial that Freeman's actions made him scared for his and his congregation's safety.