The race for mayor in the City of Statesboro shifted from politics to court proceedings Wednesday when incomplete court records regarding Raymond L. Harris Sr, who is challenging incumbent Jonathan McCollar, were published online, prompting questions from the community.
The screenshots posted to social media indicate that Harris was charged with three counts of Aggravated Child Molestation and one count of Statutory Rape in Clayton County back in 2005. But public records offer more detail than what’s circulating in a single screenshot about the timeline, the accusations, and the resolution of the case.
Screenshot of Case Header Posted to Social Media
This screenshot, which suggests that Harris is prohibited from being on the streets on Halloween due to the charges, started making the rounds early Wednesday morning:
Absent from the screenshot posted on social media is the dated case timeline which appears immediately below the defendant name and the listed charges. The docket indicates that Harris was acquitted on one count via a directed verdict in a jury trial before Judge Deborah Edenfield and by a jury on the other three counts.
A directed verdict is a ruling by a trial judge that ends the case before the jury deliberates because the state failed to present enough evidence to prove their case. This usually occurs after the state has presented its evidence.
According to court records, an indictment was brought in November 2005 and Harris entered a plea of Not Guilty shortly thereafter. Following the filing of motions, the case was placed on a jury trial calendar in January 2006 and tried – in record time – in March 2006, at which time Harris was acquitted of all charges.
The document from the Clayton County Superior Court docket is 14 pages, but many are blank due to how the docket converts to a PDF. Blank pages were included so as not to omit any documentation.
Harris Posts Records from Court Verdict on Social Media
The case file itself is sealed from public review, as is common under OCGA 35-3-37 in cases where there is an acquittal with serious charges, but Harris posted two documents on social media Thursday in response to the circulating screenshots.
“In a race where my opponent states he is for “People Over Politics,” it is disappointing that I am being attacked for something I was acquitted for almost twenty years ago. I was serving in Bosnia when these allegations were made and I maintain my innocence. Despite the attacks on my character, I will continue to fight for the people,” Harris said in a the post with two photos.
The documents, dated March 2006 and filed in the clerk’s office on the same date, are signed by the jury foreperson, the Assistant District Attorney, Raymond Harris, his attorney, and Judge Deborah Benefield. The first image indicates that the judge acquitted Harris by directed verdict on Count 1 – Aggravated Child Molestation. The following day, a jury acquitted him on the remaining charges – two counts of Aggravated Child Molestation and one count of Statutory Rape.
Harris stated in his Facebook post that he was in Bosnia when the allegations were made. U.S. troops were in Bosnia from October 1996 until December 2, 2004. According to the Harris campaign, he was deployed in Bosnia in late 1996 and early 1997.
The allegation in Count 1 included an incident date that was within the time period Harris was deployed in Bosnia, though it was not reported until years later – in 2004 – when the family was embroiled in a dispute over placement of minors with non-custodial family members. Counts 2, 3, and 4 arose during the dispute as well.
TheGeorgiaVirtue obtained records which indicate that Harris was arrested by the Clayton County Police Department on January 5, 2005. This was indicated in a 2017 application to seal the documents and have the arrest record expunged from his criminal history under a measure passed by the Georgia legislature in 2013.
The directed verdict by a judge on Count 1 was the result of Harris providing evidence of his deployment, indicating he could not have committed the act as alleged. The following day, a predominantly female jury returned a ‘Not Guilty’ verdict on the other three charges.
As a result, Harris was not convicted of any of the charges brought against him.
Ultimately, it will be up to the voters to decide who is the best candidate for mayor in Statesboro, but among the things that can be verified from court documents, and in contradiction to what’s been stated on social media:
- A judge acquitted Harris on one charge mid-trial by a directed verdict.
- The jury deliberated on the remaining three charges and returned a ‘Not Guilty’ verdict on all three counts.
- Harris was not convicted of any of the charges and was not placed on the sex offender registry.
- The charges were ultimately expunged from his criminal history.
Editor’s Note: The Raymond Harris campaign contacted TheGeorgiaVirtue on 10/28/25 regarding a one week political advertisement. The graphic and payment were provided by the campaign and published on 10/28. On 10/29, the allegations regarding Harris began circulating on social media. In the interest of objectivity and a quest for the truth, TheGeorgiaVirtue contacted the Harris campaign about removing the ad and refunding the money. It is the position of this publication that the publication of court records and other public information is more important than ad revenue.
