PASCAGOULA, Miss. – A veteran police officer will now spend 20 years behind bars for sex crimes with a child.
Former Gautier officer Robert Hill, 47, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual battery and one count of touching a child for lustful purposes. Circuit Judge Robert Krebs imposed the sentence Thursday after denying Hill’s request to withdraw his guilty pleas.
Hill was arrested in September 2011 and was originally indicted on 15 counts, including 12 counts of touching a 13-year-old 12 times to gratify his lust. The indictment said the abuse happened at Hill’s home earlier that year.
Hill had 13 years of law enforcement experience. Once released from prison, he has to register as a sex offender and serve 5 years supervised probation.