EATONTON, Ga. — A 20-year-old Milledgeville man, who formerly worked as a jailer at the Putnam County Jail in Eatonton, will spend the next three years of his life in prison.

Durell Malik Roberson, of the 100 block of Crestview Avenue, S.W., Milledgeville, pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Putnam County Superior Court in Eatonton on Tuesday morning.

Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney T. Wright Barksdale said Roberson pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault of an inmate or person in custody and one count of violation of oath by a public officer.

Immediately after accepting Roberson’s plea, Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Terry Massey sentenced the ex-jailer to 10 years, the first of those three years to be served in prison followed by the additional seven years to be served on probation.

Massey also fined Roberson $2,000, according to court records. He also was ordered to pay various court costs associated with the case, too.

Roberson reportedly had sexual contact with three female inmates at the Putnam County Jail, according to accusations filed against him by members of a Putnam County grand jury.

Roberson, who was taken into custody and immediately terminated from his duties as a jailer earlier this year, was represented by Cedric Davis, a prominent criminal defense attorney in Milledgeville.

The accusations accused Roberson of sexually assaulting three women — all of whom were inmates at the time — on or about the following dates: Dec. 10, 2018; Dec. 16, 2018; and Jan. 8, 2019.

“This was a collective negotiated plea,” Barksdale said, noting he had several conversations with District Attorney Stephen A. Bradley about the case, as well as Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, and with Davis, the opposing counsel. “The judge accepted the joint recommendation.”

Barksdale commended Davis for the way he represented his client.

“I thought he (Davis) did a really good job,” Barksdale said. “And Roberson did get a benefit from the standpoint of he didn’t force this issue. He’s been wanting to plead guilty pretty much from the outset. It was just about trying to iron out the final details of the plea.”

The assistant district attorney said Davis had worked well with the district attorney’s office regarding this particular case. 

“We patiently worked very well together in my office to try and craft the right outcome for this case,” Barksdale said. “I know he (Davis) put a lot of time, thought, and consideration into this case. I thought Cedric did a very fine job of facilitating the best outcome for his client.”

Barksdale told the court that it was a sad day for law enforcement officers because things that happen in cases like these can put a strain on the public’s trust.

“That’s why we had to take it seriously and why it was a prison case,” Barksdale said.

He went on to praise the investigative work that Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Tracy Bowen Pitocchelli put into the case.