MOULTRIE — As the result of two Colquitt County elementary school teachers noticing sudden changes in one of their students, a foster father was arrested on charges of child molestation.
The 53-year-old man was already caring for two other foster children, as well as having kids of his own, when the incident occurred, according to Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Will Pierce.
Living with the family for only two weeks, the 9-year-old girl was still settling into her new environment, Pierce said. The family went on a fishing expedition Sunday, he said, which is when the alleged incident took place.
According to Pierce, the next morning at school her teachers noticed strange behavior and instantly knew something was wrong. They pulled her aside for a conversation, and she told them how she was victimized.
The teachers alerted authorities about 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to Pierce. With the permission of the Department of Family and Children Services, investigators pulled the child from school. They were able to gather enough information to request a warrant that afternoon.
As investigators were waiting for the warrant approval from the judge, DFCS took action to remove the remaining foster children from the home, Pierce said.
“DFCS had come to take the other two foster children away and they [foster parents] didn’t know,” he said. “In situations like this the foster parents aren’t required to be notified before the state comes to shut the foster home down.”
According to Pierce, while they were at the residence, the foster father called 911 on DFCS, trying to get them removed from the property for randomly showing up.
The deputy who responded to the 911 dispatch call was instructed by Pierce to stall and keep the foster father at the residence until the warrant came back.
By 8 p.m. Monday the foster father was in handcuffs on his way to the Colquitt County jail, Pierce said. He has been charged with child molestation, sexual assault as a legal guardian and enticing a child for indecent purposes.
At this time bail has ben denied and the suspect remains in jail.