Two Peach County Teens Charged as Adults in Assault Case Granted $75,000 Bond

Two of the three Peach County teenagers charged as adults in connection with an alleged sexual assault on another minor were granted $75,000 bond Wednesday, while a third remains held without bond following his first court appearance. The bond hearing, held in Peach County Superior Court, capped a week of new developments in a case that has drawn scrutiny since a grand jury indictment came down earlier this month.

Landon Gillis and John David Lane, both 15, appeared before the court on Wednesday, according to Local 21 News. Judge Ken Smith granted each of them $75,000 bond with strict limitations, including house arrest with ankle monitors, a ban on contact with the victim, co-defendants, or other witnesses, a prohibition on drug or alcohol use, and a ban on social media access. Bond conditions also require the teens to stay at least 500 yards from the victim.

Prosecutors opposed bond for Gillis and Lane, citing a risk of intimidation to the victim and other witnesses before trial, per the same report. Defense attorneys countered that the two teens have no prior criminal history and are described as good students and active church members. A third defendant, Trey Sumner, had no bond set at this time after having his charges from the indictment read to him during his first court appearance.

What the Indictment Alleges

According to a Peach County Superior Court indictment reported by 13WMAZ, Gillis, Lane, and Sumner each face eight felony counts, including aggravated sexual battery, aggravated assault, first-degree child cruelty, sexual battery against a child under 16, battery, and three counts of third-degree child cruelty. Court records cited by the station allege that during a March 21 incident at a residence in Perry, the three teens acted together to assault the victim with a BB gun and to sexually penetrate the victim without consent using a foreign object resembling a broomstick.

The three separate counts of third-degree cruelty to children against each defendant stem from allegations that three other minor boys present at the home were forced to watch the assault, the outlet reports. At least seven minor boys were allegedly present at the residence during the gathering. Perry Police Department records indicate that officers opened their investigation the day after the alleged incident, after responding to Emory Hospital in Perry, where the victim had been admitted for a medical evaluation.

Adult Co-Defendant Faces Her Own Charges

Fifty-three-year-old Sharon Jean Gillis, the homeowner where the gathering took place, was booked into Peach County Jail on Wednesday. She is charged with first-degree child cruelty, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to indictment documents reported by 13WMAZ. Prosecutors allege she provided alcohol to at least seven underage boys and maliciously failed to seek medical care for the victim.

The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office, which is prosecuting the case under District Attorney Anita R. Howard, said Sharon Gillis played a role in what happened, according to Local 21 News. A defense attorney for Sharon Gillis acknowledged she provided alcohol and cigarettes to minors on the night of the incident but described the alleged incident as an unfortunate hazing incident and claimed the victim experienced no medical trauma — a characterization prosecutors have not endorsed. The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office has separately reported that a medical evaluation was performed on the victim the day after the alleged incident.

Why the Teens Are Being Tried as Adults

The case is being handled in adult court because Georgia law requires it. Under Georgia Code § 15-11-560, enacted via Senate Bill 440, Superior Courts hold exclusive original jurisdiction over juveniles ages 13 to 17 charged with a designated list of violent felonies known as the “Seven Deadly Sins,” which automatically sends minors facing charges like aggravated sexual battery to adult court unless a transfer happens before indictment, according to Georgia Criminal Lawyer. Because the grand jury has already returned an indictment in this case, defense attorneys now face a much steeper legal bar: under Georgia Code § 15-11-560(d), moving the case back to juvenile court requires demonstrating what the law calls “extraordinary cause,” per the Georgia State University Law Review.

If convicted, the defendants would face severe statutory penalties. A conviction for aggravated sexual battery under Georgia Code § 16-6-22.2 and § 17-10-6.1 carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, up to life, followed by mandatory lifetime probation and sex offender registration, according to legal guidance published by Hines Law.

The court also ordered that WGXA not film the defendants, and the station has said it is working to find out future scheduled court dates. No trial date has been announced in the case.