CAIRO — A Cairo man was sentenced Friday to six decades in prison after jury deliberations of about 90 minutes resulted in six guilty verdicts.

Superior Court Judge A. Wallace Cato sentenced Ben Roberts, 48, to serve 60 years in prison on convictions of two counts of child molestation, two counts of aggravated child molestation and one count each of aggravated sodomy and cocaine possession.

Roberts, who did not testify, was convicted of molesting a girl less than 12 years old.

“He provided her with cocaine during the incidents,” said Lt. Steve Clark, chief investigator for the Grady County Sheriff’s Office.

The girl testified during the 1 1/2-day trial in Grady County Superior Court.

The incidents took place prior to October 2005. Roberts, a logger, was arrested in early November 2005. He was denied bond in Grady County Magistrate and Superior courts.

Cato also sentenced a husband and wife this week in a child molestation case.

Ricky Lee Sadler, 40, was charged with aggravated child molestation and child molestation. He entered a plea to child molestation and was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison.

His wife, Patricia Sadler, 38, entered a guilty plea to cruelty to children and was sentenced to 15 years of probation. She was charged with cruelty to children in the first degree and making false statement.

Mr. Sadler was denied bond and has remained in the Grady County Jail since his late August arrest.

The case against Sadler involved two females under the age of 16. His wife withheld information that hindered the investigation, an investigator said in August. The activity had been under way six years when the couple was arrested, investigators sad.

Agents from the Thomasville regional office of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisted in the Roberts and Sadler cases. Clark said successful prosecution of the cases was enhanced greatly by GBI agents’ assistance.



Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 220.