WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — A former Georgia Police Academy division director has pleaded guilty to charges of molesting a child.
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Samuel “Ray” Ham entered guilty pleas Monday on four counts of child molestation, three counts of sexual battery and one count of grooming a minor for a sexual offense.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison without parole and life on probation once released.
Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney Randy McGinley said that victim statements were read in court so the judge and defendant could understand the impact.
“The hard work of law enforcement and the prosecution team led to the defendant pleading guilty very early in the court process,” McGinley said. “I commend their dedication, but nothing is as inspiring as the strength the victim, the family, and the supporters have shown over the last four-plus months.”
According to the indictment, Ham was accused of touching a girl who was under the age of 16 in an inappropriate and sexual manner.
Documents indicated that the acts went back as far as April 1, 2023, up to the week of Ham’s arrest.
Ham had worked as an instructor at the Georgia Police Academy. It holds advanced and specialized training for certified law enforcement officers in Georgia.
The Georgia Public Safety Training Center, which runs the Georgia Police Academy, fired Ham after his arrest.
“Those in law enforcement are in a position of trust in our communities, especially when it comes to protecting children,” McGinley said. “This defendant betrayed that trust and betrayed all those that he has worked with over the years. But to be clear, this betrayal pales in comparison with how his actions betrayed those he directly harmed.”
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