Local 'speed painter' pleads guilty to child cruelty charge

A Columbus artist whose talent for “speed painting” has led to national TV appearances pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree child cruelty.

Derrick Jamal Westry, 40, who initially was accused of having sexual intercourse with a teenage girl in January 2013, pleaded to a charge of causing the girl physical or mental pain through negligence, said his attorney Stacey Jackson.

Westry's wife, Jeannee Latria Westry, 43, was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct for failing to act to protect the the girl’s safety. Her attorney was Shevon Sutcliffe Thomas.

The defense attorneys said the Westrys each entered a “best interest” plea, meaning they admitted no guilt, but acknowledged the facts of the case could result in a guilty verdict were they to go to trial. Jackson said the charge against his client alleges no sexual contact.

A grand jury this past March indicted the couple on multiple counts, but those charges were discarded during plea negotiations. Prosecutors instead filed new charges through a “formal accusation” instead of seeking another indictment.

The maximum penalty for second-degree child cruelty is 10 years in prison, said Assistant District Attorney Matt Landreau. Abiding by the plea deal, Superior Court Judge Maureen Gottfried sentenced Derrick Westry to serve 36 months of a 10-year sentence with the rest on probation. The judge sentenced Jeanee Westry to a year’s probation.

Landreau told Gottfriend the allegations came to light when the girl reported them to a high school teacher in May 2013. Teachers by law are “mandatory reporters,” meaning they must relay such information to police. Investigators questioned the girl and obtained warrants for the Westrys' arrests.

Gottfried gave Derrick Westry until 3 p.m. Oct. 13 to surrender at the Muscogee County Jail to serve his sentence.

After the sentencing, Landreau said he was satisfied with the plea agreement, and so was the victim.

“I think it’s in everybody’s best interest,” the prosecutor said. Had the case gone to trial, the victim would have been compelled to testify and undergo cross-examination, an emotional ordeal.

Online at www.dwestry.com, Derrick Westry bills himself as “The World’s Fastest Speed Painter” and “A True Legend of the Speed Art Genre.” He has posted YouTube videos of his painting, including a 2012 appearance on Anderson Cooper’s “Anderson’s Viewers Got Talent” competition, in which the artist won a grand prize trip to Costa Rica.

This story was originally published September 21, 2015 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Local 'speed painter' pleads guilty to child cruelty charge."