THOMASVILLE — A little girl molested repeatedly by her father told law enforcement officers what happened while her mother was away from home. The child’s father was jailed in the same building where the interview was being conducted.

The young victim needed the reassurance of her mother’s presence. Midway officers’ questioning, the girl asked her mother if her father was still in jail.

A facility close to becoming a reality will eliminate situations in which sexually abused children must wait in the Jail-Justice Center lobby to be interviewed by firearm-wearing officers in the same tiny rooms where suspects are questioned about violent crimes.

The frequency of reports of sexually abused children caused local service agencies to seek a place where services can reach victims privately.

Between 150 and 200 cases of sexually assaulted children are reported to the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) and Thomasville Police Department (TPD) annually. Each is investigated. More than half are prosecuted.

The number of cases has risen since children learned it is OK to tell about abuse, said Capt. John Richards, TCSO chief of operations. “The process cannot continue as it is today,” the officer added.

Sexually abused children are more likely to be “up front” if they feel comfortable about relaying what happened to them, said Capt. Troy Rich, commander of the (TPD) Criminal Investigations Division.

Officials are close to obtaining a place to make circumstances a little easier for children abused sexually, as well as physically.

They are awaiting word from state government about a state-owned building in Thomasville.

The structure needs minor repairs and paint, said Karen Ambrose, senior victim advocate in the Thomasville office of Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney J. David Miller.

“The location is perfect, private,” said Kathy Megahee, Thomas County Family Connection director. Megahee’s agency brings together agencies that benefit families and children.

The Thomas County Child Advocacy Center would be staffed as needed.

“At this point, we have a small (advocacy center) bank account,” said Ambrose, a member of the Georgia Sex Offender Registration Review Board.

The facility would provide a child with comfortable surroundings.

“The key to a successful prosecution is to get the victim in an atmosphere as comfortable as possible,” Richards explained.

Personnel from the Thomas County Department of Family and Children Services, law enforcement and district attorney’s office , along with sexual assault nurse examiners, would respond to children at the center.

Ambrose said the number of interviews a child would undergo would be decreased when all could be done at one place.

“By the time they go to one or two (places), they’re ready to give up,” Megahee interjected.

The child advocacy center would be decorated with bright colors attractive to children. It also would have child-size furniture.

A case might require a year or more to prosecute. Meanwhile, the victim would go to the facility for counseling.

The district attorney announced more than two years ago in Thomas County that a child advocacy center was one of his priorities for the community.

Lowndes and Colquitt counties, both in the Southern Judicial Circuit, have the facilities.

Another is in Grady County in the South Georgia Judicial Circuit.

Because of the increasing number of cases of sex crimes against children, TCSO and TPD officers are undergoing specialized training.

Rich said that during his 2 1/2 years as CID commander, he has seen victims in child molestation cases sitting in the Jail-Justice Center lobby. He recognizes the children’s humiliation and embarrassment.

“They need an environment where embarrassment is eliminated,” he said. “They need a safe place where they feel comfortable explaining what happened to them.”



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