Ashley Hunter: Greene Publishing, Inc.
On Thursday, Aug. 18, Geoffrey Walter Hill, 44, pled no contest against his charges of sexual battery by person in custodial authority.
Hill, the former band director at Madison County High School, was arrested on May 14, 2014 when a victim contacted authorities with allegations of sexual abuse. Then, when a second victim came forward, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement re-arrested Hill on May 22, 2014 and Hill was held on a $500,000 bond in the Madison County Jail; Hill was bonded out on May 23, 2014.
On May 27, 2014, Hill sent a dated letter of resignation to the Madison County School Board for approval, and the school board approved it.
Reappearing in the public eye on Thursday, Aug. 18, of this year, Hill pled nolo contendere (no contest) to the charges pressed against him. Through pleading no contest, Hill is neither admitting guilty nor pleading not guilty. In a United States court of law, a no contest is not technically a guilty plea, but it has the same immediate effect as a guilty plea. In addition, a no contest plead is not offered as a matter of right, instead, a judge typically has to allow the defendant the right to plead no contest.
Hill will be heading directly to a sentencing, which will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 9 a.m.