Three men have been arrested for unrelated sex crimes ranging from sexual battery of a minor to failure to register as a sex offender, according to a press release from Sheriff Eddie Hawkins.
In the first incident, Dwight Irons, 31, was arrested Oct. 11 in Aberdeen after a Lowndes County grand jury indicted him for sexual battery, the press release said.
On Dec. 7, 2021, detectives were told a child had allegedly been sexually assaulted in Artesia. The victim, who was under the age of 13 at the time, was interviewed at Sally Kate Winters Family Services in West Point and Irons was identified as a suspect.
Irons was arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Service. He remains in custody at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center. No bond has been set at this time.
In the second incident, Jerry D. Foster, 38, was arrested by the USMS in Fortson, Georgia, and charged with sexual battery, according to the press release.
On Nov. 4, 2022, detectives were contacted by the mother of a 14-year-old girl who had allegedly been sexually battered by an adult when she was under the age of 7. The mother, who now lives in Indiana, said her daughter told her Foster raped her when she was between the ages of 5 and 7.
A Lowndes County grand jury indicted Foster for sexual battery, and he was arrested and extradited back to Columbus. He has since bonded out on a $25,000 bond.
Finally, Richard Woodruff Pace, 25, was arrested and charged with failure to register as a sex offender, according to the press release.
Pace was convicted of statutory rape in 2021 and sentenced to one year time served. He was ordered to register as a sex offender and did not do so.
He was arrested on Oct. 10. He is currently in custody at the LCADC. Bond has been set at $10,000.
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