LAKELAND - A Lanier County High School basketball coach was arrested yesterday by the GBI on sexual assault charges. Robert E. Williams, 42, the boys’ basketball coach at the school turned himself in to the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office late yesterday afternoon after the GBI, in consultation with Alapaha District Attorney Cathy Helms, obtained 2 arrest warrants for Sexual Assault.

Under Georgia Code 16-6-5.1(b), a person commits sexual assault when that person has supervisory or disciplinary authority over the person with whom sexual contact is made. The crime is punishable by imprisonment of from ten to thirty years for each count.  

The GBI Regional Office in Douglas was requested by Lanier County Sheriff Nick Norton on September 29 to open an investigation into this matter after female students at the school had come forward with allegations against Williams.

The investigation is still on-going; therefore no other details will be released at this time. If anyone has information pertaining to the investigation, please contact the GBI Douglas Office at 912-389-4103.

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Contact Information:

Alapaha District Attorney Cathy Helms - 229-686-7015; John Bankhead, GBI - 404-270-8330