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A married youth minister who slapped a female reporter’s butt on live television as she delivered a report in Georgia has pleaded guilty to a sexual battery charge.
Thomas “Tommy” Callaway, previously identified as a church youth minister and Boy Scout leader, admitted on Tuesday that he committed the misdemeanor offense of sexual battery against WSAV-TV’s Alex Bozarjian in Dec. 2019.
The 44-year-old was sentenced to a year probation and fined $1,000 by a Savannah judge who accepted his plea for the misdemeanor count on Tuesday.
The judge also ordered him to perform 200 hours of community service, court records show.
Callaway was arrested in December after he was caught on camera slapping Bozarjian’s rear end while she was reporting live on a Savannah road race.
A grinning Callaway, who was participating in the race, was seen running up behind Bozarjian and striking her hard, stunning the young reporter who stood motionless in shock for a number of seconds.
“To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning: You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me,” Bozarjian tweeted shortly after the assault. “No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!! Do better.”
To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning: You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!! Do better. https://t.co/PRLXkBY5hn
— Alex Bozarjian (@wsavalexb) December 7, 2019
Remarkably, Callaway attempted to explain his behavior in an interview.
“I was caught up in the moment,” he said. “I was getting ready to bring my hands up and wave to the camera and to the audience, and there was a misjudge in character and decision-making. I touched her back. I did not know exactly where I touched her.”
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