Columbus man attacks victim again 9 days after taking plea deal, cops say
Timothy James Buckner was released from the Muscogee County Jail just hours after a May 7 plea deal dismissed most of his felony sexual assault charges, and he remained free for almost a full nine days.
Almost.
The 36-year-old who walked free at 3:37 p.m. May 7 was arrested again at 12:59 p.m. Saturday on charges involving the same victim who accused him before, police said.
Arrested at the Woodspring Suites, 1801 Victory Drive, Buckner was booked into the county jail at 1:28 p.m. Saturday, this time charged initially with felony false imprisonment and misdemeanor simple battery, according to jail records.
Investigators later added felony charges of kidnapping, robbery and aggravated stalking, but the stalking charge was dismissed Monday in Columbus Recorder’s Court, where Judge Julius Hunter ordered Buckner held without bond — again.
Hunter was the same judge who had Buckner held without bond on his previous charges, before that case was resolved in Muscogee Superior Court.
‘First offender’
Buckner was just arrested two months ago on two counts of rape and one count each of aggravated sexual battery, aggravated sodomy, sodomy and false imprisonment. That incident was reported to have occurred March 16.
Police said the pair had a previous relationship.
In the deal negotiated May 7, Buckner pleaded guilty only to false imprisonment and misdemeanor simple battery, and all the other charges were dismissed.
Superior Court Judge Maureen Gottfried sentenced him to 10 years’ probation with 100 days to serve in jail. But given two-for-one credit for the days Buckner already had been jailed, he was released soon afterward.
At that time, the victim had asked that Buckner have no more physical contact with her, but agreed that he could email her, said Assistant District Attorney Robin King.
The details of what happened between the two Saturday at the Victory Drive motel were not documented in the portion of police reports available to the press.
“Subject arrested after investigation concurred subject had forced victim to stay in hotel and forced into vehicle,” read the narrative on Buckner’s arrest report.
Buckner now is facing far stiffer penalties than before, because he was sentenced as a “first offender.” That means he had no previous felonies, and his criminal history could have been cleared, had he successfully complied with the terms of his probation.
The flipside of a first offender sentence is that violating probation means the defendant can be brought back to Superior Court and sentenced to the full penalty he initially faced.
Buckner faced a maximum of 10 years in prison for false imprisonment and up to a year for simple battery.
Besides having no contact with the woman other than email, Buckner’s probation required that he commit no new crimes, consume no alcohol or illegal drugs, submit to random drug screenings and get a mental health evaluation.