CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — An ex-Cherokee County Sheriff's deputy pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually assaulting two women who were in custody. They reported the incident back in 2019, court records revealed.
Richard Gilleland, 55, of Canton, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault and four counts of violation of oath by a public officer -- all felonies, according to the records.
As a part of the plea, Gilleland was sentenced to 15 years, with the first three years to be served in confinement and the remainder of the sentence to be served on probation, records show. He will also have to comply with certain sex offender conditions, per the documents.
The alleged assaults occurred at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center in Canton, according to an incident report.
The sheriff’s office said Gilleland had been with the agency for five years. A Facebook page that Sheriff Reynolds confirmed belonged to Gilleland indicates he is an Iraq War veteran.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated,” Sheriff Frank Reynolds said in a release back in 2019. “Our deputies have worked hard to gain the trust and respect from the community. When one of them breaks the law they will be held accountable.”