Columbus man, 62, gets life in prison for molesting girl who was 6
A Columbus man convicted last week of molesting a girl in 2012 when she was 6 years old was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.
Superior Court Judge William Rumer gave that sentence to Robert "Buddy" Turner, 62, whom a jury Friday found guilty of child molestation and aggravated child molestation.
Rumer sentenced him to life for aggravated child molestation, and added 10 more years for child molestation. Typically those sentenced to life with possible parole are eligible for parole in 30 years.
Rumer tentatively set a hearing for 9 a.m. May 22, should Turner move for a new trial.
Testimony in Turner’s trial showed the girl was a frequent visitor to Turner’s home, and knew him well.
Turner’s indictment said the incident occurred between Aug. 4 and Aug. 17, 2012, when Turner was 59 years old. The girl reported it to her mother when she began experiencing pain while urinating.
A medical examination revealed she had not only a vaginal injury, but also a urinary tract infection, testimony showed.
The girl said the molestation occurred in Turner’s home as he had her sit in his lap.
The girl told authorities she delayed telling anyone what Turner did because he had made her promise not to tell.
Defense attorney Will Kirby argued the girl’s injury could have resulted from a brother two years older giving her a karate chop to the groin, but prosecutor Ray Daniel had medical personnel testify that what the brother did could not have caused so severe an injury.
Before Turner's sentencing, the girl's mother told Rumer that Turner "stole a piece of our daughter's innocence and all of her trust. He replaced it with fear and pain."
The girl still suffers from what she experienced, the mother said.
"She wet the bed and had nightmares for over a year. Then it slowly stopped until there were no more nightmares or accidents. Then we had to come testify at the trial and the accidents and nightmares began again. We spent so many restless nights then getting her to sleep because of the nightmares."
The girl and a sibling now will never be allowed to spend a night away from home, like other kids who go to slumber parties, the mother said: "Their freedom is limited because we are afraid of them being around others, as we now question their safety in all aspects."
Turner's friends and family also testified before the sentencing, saying they do not believe he's guilty.
A brother-in-law said he'd known Turner 34 years and saw never "a hint" that he would behave inappropriately with children. Turner was a former Army soldier and a longtime construction worker who moved from state to state to be near his family, the relative said. He said Turner recently moved here to help care for his aging mother.
He had no prior offenses, and the molestation accusation tormented him, turning him from jovial and optimistic to "an aging, frail, broken man," the brother-in-law said.
Turner's sister told Rumer her brother was "a dear, sweet guy" who would help anyone who needed it. She feared he would not survive an extended prison sentence, she said.
Said a close friend of Turner's: "I don't think he did it."
This story was originally published January 14, 2015 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Columbus man, 62, gets life in prison for molesting girl who was 6."