Ex-DeKalb corrections officer a no-show for final day of trial

A former DeKalb County corrections officer who allegedly raped a runaway teenage girl chose not to attend the closing arguments in his trial Friday, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The Fulton County judge issued an arrest warrant for Charles Barry Pinckney and forfeited his bond, the news station reported.

Pinckney was in court all week, but his attorney, Jackie Patterson, said he took the time for reflection and to let his attorney speak for him.

Authorities said Pinckney picked up the 15-year-old in January 2016, took her to his home and raped her. Pinckney said the girl told him she was 19 and the sex was consensual.

Doctors said her injuries were severe, Channel 2 reported.

Pinckney’s absence became part of the judge’s instructions to the jury. Judge Grant Brantley told the jurors that his absence “is not a part of your consideration.”

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