Ex-Bremen High coach Geoffrey Brad Matthews convicted for sex crimes
Ex-Bremen High coach convicted on all counts in child sex trial
A Haralson County jury found former Bremen High School assistant baseball coach Geoffrey Brad Matthews guilty on all 13 counts of child molestation, grooming, and related offenses following an 11-day trial.
HARLALSON COUNTY, Ga. - A former high school coach faces up to 147 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of sexually exploiting male students at a local campus.
High school trial conviction
What we know:
A jury convicted former Bremen High School coach and bus driver Geoffrey Brad Matthews of grooming, child molestation and enticing a minor for indecent purposes. The conviction followed a two-week trial featuring testimony from more than two dozen witnesses, including eight young victims who took the stand.
Prosecutors presented text messages and photos during the trial to corroborate the victims' testimonies. Assistant District Attorney Jason Jones emphasized to jurors during closing arguments that the outcome came down to witness credibility. Specific charges, including child molestation and enticing a minor, stemmed directly from an incident inside the school's wrestling complex where Matthews asked a student to pull down his pants and jump naked. Other counts involved inappropriate comments made in classrooms and on school buses.
Former Bremen High School coach Geoffrey Matthews was found guilty on all 13 counts of child molestation and grooming-related offenses following an 11-day criminal trial in Haralson County. (Credit: Haralson County Sheriff's Office)
Additional regional charges
What we don't know:
Court officials have not yet announced the formal sentencing date for Matthews following the jury's verdict.
It remains unclear when Matthews will go on trial for separate, unrelated sex crime charges involving children that he still faces in Carroll and Paulding counties.
Victims praised by prosecutors
What they're saying:
Tallapoosa Circuit District Attorney Jaeson Smith credited the courageous testimony of the young victims for securing the conviction and helping uncover the full extent of the abuse.
"These young men at Bremen High School is what set the ball in motion to bring him to justice," Smith said.
During closing arguments, Jones simplified the multi-week trial for the jury by focusing on the consistency of the victims' statements.
"You know, ladies and gentlemen, a jury, you either believe each of these eight students or you believe this one individual over here," Jones told the jury. "Either they're all lying or he's lying. And it just comes down to a determination of credibility. Who do you believe?"
Maximum prison sentence
What's next:
Matthews remains in custody as he awaits formal sentencing for the convictions in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit.
State prosecutors confirmed they intend to pursue the harshest penalty available under Georgia law. The state's official recommendation will be the maximum exposure of 147 years in prison.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official court proceedings in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit, trial testimony, and statements provided by District Attorney Jaeson Smith and Assistant District Attorney Jason Jones.