Beaty, 27, accepts plea agreement
Clay Count prosecutors say an army recruiter, hailing from Morrison, was recruiting more than just soldiers in the northern Tennessee town of Celina.
The defendant, Billy Eric Beaty, 27, was granted a two-year judicial diversion recently on sexual battery charges in Celina, stemming for his fondling of a 17-year-old girl in September 2000. Beaty, who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army while the case was pending, was an on-duty army recruiter at the time of the incident and was reportedly in a government vehicle.
Prosecutors say Beaty touched the girl in private areas despite the fact he knew, or should have known, the girl was under age. The incident, which was reportedly witnessed by a classmate of the victim, occurred after Beaty visited the victim’s home and was in the process of giving her a ride to town. Prosecutors further maintained Beaty had made lewd comments regarding other girls during an earlier visit to a high school there. Beaty was also accused of urging the girl to keep quiet about the incident.
Beaty continues to deny the allegations despite his voluntary acceptance of the judicial diversion. A judicial diversion works like probation with the difference being, under the diversion, Beaty may ask for his record to be erased once he successfully completes the probationary term.