A Statesboro man is behind bars after an incident involving a pregnant woman. While he remains behind bars awaiting further court action, the named victim in the case has retracted her statements made to police.
The Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office arrested 20-year-old Jaylin Lee Wadley on June 15 for an incident that reportedly occurred at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds on Father’s Day.
According to court documents, it is alleged that Wadley committed the following:
- Kidnapping (felony) – Wadley held the woman against her will and did cause her to receive bodily injury. “[The woman] ran out of Mr. Wadley’s vehicle and ran toward a building for help. Mr. Wadley caught up to [her] and grabbed her by her hair and body forcing her back into the vehicle and drove away from the incident location.”
- False Imprisonment (felony) – Wadley “actively resisted [the woman] wish for freedom by demanding she stay with him in the vehicle and refusing to let her out of the vehicle.”
- Battery Against a Female Who is Pregnant (misdemeanor) – Wadley intentionally caused physical harm and visible bodily harm to the woman by “striking her leaving raised skin and cut marks on her neck; and said victim being pregnant at the time of the battery.”
- Criminal Trespass (misdemeanor) – Wadley took the woman’s phone and “altered certain phone numbers and he kept it in his possession against [the woman], interfering with her use of the phone.”
- Obstructing or Hindering Persons Making Emergency Telephone Call (misdemeanor) – Wadley took the woman’s phone and prevented her from reaching out for help or calling law enforcement
Wadley’s bond was denied at his first appearance hearing in Magistrate Court as kidnapping requires a hearing before a superior court judge.
On June 20, Statesboro defense attorney Francys Johnson filed an entry of appearance in the case and requested a bond hearing. The Motion for Bond cites Wadley’s gainful employment
Also filed in the Clerk of Court’s office was a sworn affidavit from the named victim in the case. Her affidavit reads:
“Jaylin Lee Wadley is being convicted of false charges. I was not at any point kidnapped or held against my will. I deny all charges he has been given. The statement I gave the police has been taken out of context + is being turned into something so much more serious. I would like for these charges to be dropped immediately. Everything that happened was a big misunderstand [sic] and the statement I gave was out of anger and I was not thinking with a clear mind. We were both angry with each other and both were tussling with one another over my cell phone, and when I gave my statement to the police officer, I left out my actions + the part I played in the altercation. He was not told that he couldn’t be at my house so he was not trespassing at any point. He wanted to talk and I went outside to talk to him. We always go somewhere private when we talk about serious things so it was not out of the ordinary for him to leave my apartment so we could talk. I was not kidnapped at any point. We arrived at the fairgrounds to talk and he then asked for my phone. I said no + he grabbed for it. We then started tussling for the phone. He was not keeping me from making an emergency call. He then asked me to get out of the truck but I refused, so he got out and came to my side of the truck. I locked the doors before he could open it. I felt as though he would leave me there and not take me back home. He did not hold me against my will. I chose to stay because I didn’t want to be left by myself. My original statement is not the full truth. I was angry with Jaylin Lee Wadley and I over exaggerated the situation. I want all charges against him dropped, everything has been taken out of context and not true.”
A hearing for bond has not yet been scheduled. The case has been assigned to Judge Ronald Thompson.
