Macon man sentenced to 10 years in child sex case

A 37-year-old Macon man was sentenced to 10 years Wednesday -- seven of them in prison -- after he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery on a minor.

Leroy Anthony Holmes II, of Columbus Drive, was indicted last year on rape and aggravated child molestation charges, according to Bibb County Superior Court records.

Prosecutor Nancy Scott Malcor said a 15-year-old girl reported in 2013 that Holmes had forced her to have sex and molested her for years, dating back to when she was about 7 years old.

The girl alleged that Holmes threatened to kill her and her family if she reported the sex acts, Malcor said.

Due to the delay in reporting the allegations, prosecutors had no physical evidence to present to jurors, spurring the offer for Holmes to plead guilty to the lesser felony charge.

Had the case gone to trial, prosecutors would have presented evidence that Holmes also molested a then-12-year-old boy when Holmes was 14, Malcor said.

Holmes' attorney said she would have presented evidence disputing the allegation.

Holmes was sentenced as a first offender, meaning if he successfully completes his sentence, he won't have a felony criminal record. If he violates terms of his sex offender probation or otherwise gets in trouble before he completes his sentence, he could be resentenced to additional time in prison.

Holmes has been held at the Bibb County jail since his Oct. 4, 2013, arrest.

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her on Twitter@awomackmacon.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Macon man sentenced to 10 years in child sex case ."