Third Bibb sheriff's deputy suspended in officer's alleged sexual assault at Macon motel

A third Bibb County sheriff's deputy is on paid administrative leave in an ongoing investigation of another officer's alleged sexual assault.

Deputy Douglas Taylor was suspended in an Internal Affairs investigation launched into officers' handling of a woman's complaint that she was assaulted by deputy James Stiles on Dec. 3.

According to a sheriff's news release, Taylor encountered the woman the next afternoon while responding to a report of a person lying in the middle of Hill Street adjacent to the Macon Inn, where the alleged assault took place the night before.

The investigation's preliminary findings indicate that the woman, who was in the road, mentioned the assault to Taylor and tried to hand over possible evidence, but he didn't take it.

She was taken by ambulance to the hospital that Monday afternoon.

The sheriff also suspended deputy Tabitha Costello, who met with the woman at the motel at 1044 Riverside Drive after she called 911 to report the incident earlier that morning.

Costello failed to initiate an incident report or investigation.

The alleged assault came to light hours later when more deputies encountered the 43-year-old woman hiding near rail cars at 100 Graphic Packaging International Way.

Just after midnight on Tuesday morning Dec. 5, she told officers she was sexually assaulted Sunday night at the motel.

Stiles is accused of getting her a room about 11 p.m. that night, then entering the room in his uniform, according to the sheriff's office.

Stiles was not on duty, but was moonlighting at an off-duty job and driving his patrol car.

He reportedly picked up the woman after he responded with other deputies to an assistance call for a stranded person.

The sheriff's office Internal Affairs and criminal investigators consulted with District Attorney David Cooke, who called in the GBI to investigate.

Sheriff David Davis vowed to "move swiftly to hold each of the deputies accountable for an dereliction of duty in this case."

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 5:51 AM with the headline "Third Bibb sheriff's deputy suspended in officer's alleged sexual assault at Macon motel."