A man charged with sexually assaulting a 4 year old, a woman charged with abusing a 4 year old, and a man already serving a 40 year sentence were all in Monroe County Criminal Court Monday.
James Roy Bowlin, 82, Dogwood Apartments, Sweetwater, was indicted by the grand jury in April after prosecutors charged him with three counts of aggravated sexual battery.

The indictment against Bowlin stated the abuse occurred between the months of August and December 2008.
Bowlin pleaded to the charges and received an eight-year sentence, of which he must serve 100 percent. He will receive credit for time served, which dates back to Dec. 19, 2008.

Woman pleads guilty to child abuse/neglect
Tammy Shubert, 31, Vonore, also pleaded guilty to child abuse/ neglect of a child under 6.
Shubert was part of a trio charged with the crime in March 2008. Robert Allen Jones, 29, and Edna May Jones, 37, Church Street, Vonore, pleaded guilty in a McMinn County court earlier this month, receiving a four-year suspended sentence.

The trio was arrested after Vonore Police officers learned the 4-year-old Vonore girl had been tied to a couch in her home and left there, sometimes for an entire night. The child was found with ligature marks on her wrists and ankles and large bruises on her leg and buttocks.
Two short ropes were found in her home, attached to the legs of the living room couch.
Written statements indicate the child had been tied to the back of a love seat in the living room on several occasions.

Shubert received the same sentence of four years suspended.

Charges
dismissed against arson suspect

And Judge Amy Reedy dismissed four charges against a man already serving a 40-year sentence.
Perley Winkler, 37, was sentenced to 55 years on state charges in April 2008 and 78 months on federal charges including attempted first-degree murder after he and another man tried to burn a house down with people inside.

While various factors could have Winkler out of jail in less than two decades, the state decided it did not want to pursue any further charges against him.
The charges dismissed were arson, child abuse/neglect of a child under 6, possession of marijuana for resale and possession of drug paraphernalia.

michael.thomason@advocateanddemocrat.com | 442-4575