Brett Hardy LelandRINGGOLD, Ga. - Two men charged with raping a local high school student have pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
Bret LeLand Hardy and Destin Randall Noble each were sentenced to one year in prison to be followed by four years on probation after pleading guilty to a sexual battery charge in Catoosa County Superior Court. Hardy entered his plea Friday, and Noble pleaded guilty Monday morning.
According to an incident report, the crime occurred late on Nov. 7, 2015, or early the next morning. A girl had gone to a friend's house, where someone gave her alcohol. Later she left with Hardy, who allegedly raped her off Alabama Highway.
About a week later, the girl went to T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital at Erlanger, and Catoosa County Sheriff's Office detectives were alerted. During the investigation, according to the report, detectives realized Noble also had been involved in sexual activity with the girl.
In May 2016, a grand jury indicted both men on charges of rape, aggravated child molestation and furnishing alcohol to a minor. According to the indictment, the girl was under 16 at the time. Hardy was 19 when he was arrested, and Noble was 18. Noble was a senior at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School at the time.
Destin Noble, rape suspect in Catoosa County. Hardy's attorney, Chris Townley, said prosecutors agreed to dismiss the original indictment against both defendants. They instead replaced the charges with one count of sexual battery.
Townley said the plea agreement had been in the works for some time.
"We've been working on the plea for a while, trying to hammer it out," he said. "[Hardy] won't be on the sex offender registry. That took a lot of pieces."
Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-7576476 or tjett@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.