Richard BatsonCharges that a sex offender violated his probation by failing to report his employment with a local church were sent to a Hamilton County grand jury Tuesday morning.
Richard Batson pleaded guilty to statutory rape by an authority figure in 2012. He admitted to having consensual sex with his foster daughter, who at the time was 16, and was placed on four years of unsupervised probation.
On Tuesday, pastor Anthony Baker testified that Batson had been doing odd jobs like lawn mowing and minor repairs at the Riverside Baptist Church for a couple years. He helped fix the floor and walls in the fellowship hall, Baker said, but was not supposed to be working when children were around.
Batson was arrested again in May on charges he violated the sex offender registry by failing to report his employment with the church. Hamilton County Sheriff's Office detective Mike Cox said news of Batson's employment came through the course of another investigation.
Batson's attorney, Steve Brown, argued that by reporting he was self-employed, Batson wasn't breaking any rules.
But Assistant District Attorney General Ben Boyd showed a W-2 from the church, which he said proved Batson was an employee, and Judge David Bales ultimately agreed.
Bales said Batson "should have known the requirements of the registry" and should have immediately reported his employment to his probation officer. Bales also noted that Batson was "right back in the midst of numerous juveniles and young children," something probation officers should have been able to look into, he said.
Baker said Batson is a member of the church.
"We're not defending his actions," Baker's wife, Vallerie Baker, said Tuesday. "But we're trying to be Christ-like."
Contact staff writer Claire Wiseman at cwise man@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6347. Follow her on Twitter @clairelwiseman.