Thomas Callaway, 44, was sentenced to a year probation and fined $1,000 by a Savannah judge who accepted his guilty sexual battery plea
A married youth minister who slapped the behind of a female reporter on live television as she delivered a report in Georgia has pleaded guilty to a sexual battery charge.
Thomas Callaway, 44, 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 swatted the rear end of WSAV-TV reporter Alex Bozarjian, 23, 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. The clip has since been viewed millions of times.
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Callaway was arrested in December after he was caught on camera swatted the rear end of WSAV-TV reporter Alex Bozarjian, 23, 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
Following his sentencing Tuesday, Bozarjian told WSAV-TV outside the courtroom that she hoped Callaway would strive to ‘do better’ in future as he had previously promised her.
‘A non-consensual butt slap may seem harmless to some people. Other people would go as far as to call it flattering, but that’s obviously a toxic thought pattern because what Mr. Callaway did on that bridge validates the idea that I don’t deserve my own personal space,’ she told the network. ‘It also reinforces the belief that as a woman, my body doesn’t belong to me.’
Bozarjian continued that while she understands the act has ‘probably disrupted his life more than he ever imagined, nobody has a right to touch anybody or slap anybody for their own amusement.’
The reporter added that she decided to attend the hearing to finally accept Callaway’s apology.
‘He has tried to apologize a number of times,’ Bozarjian said. ‘I have all my power intact today and I forgave him.
‘All I really hope is that, going forward in the future he will do better.’
Callaway’s identity was unknown in the hours after the incident, but he later came forward to identify himself as the culprit. Bozarjian later said the pastor had ‘violated, objectified, and embarrassed her’
Callaway said he didn’t intend to slap the reporter on the rear. He said he was raising his arm trying to pat her on the back or the shoulder and didn’t realize until seeing the video that he had touched her buttocks
At the time of the incident, WSA-TV called Callaway’s actions ‘reprehensible and completely unacceptable.’
‘’No one should ever be disrespected in this manner. The safety and protection of our employees is WSAV-TV’s highest priority,’ the station added.
Bozarjian also spoke out of her horror over the incident, telling the youth pastor he ‘violated, objectified, and embarrassed me.’
‘No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!! Do better.’
In a police report, the reporter said Callaway had slapped and then grabbed her buttocks.
She also appeared on CBS This Morning where she claimed that Callaway had not only slapped her hard enough to startle her but also to physically hurt her.
Callaway’s identity was unknown in the hours after the incident, but he later came forward to identify himself as the culprit.
He went to the TV station to give an on-camera apology to Bozarjian, calling his actions ‘awful’, insisting he had made a mistake.
Following his sentencing Tuesday, Bozarjian told WSAV-TV outside the courtroom that she hoped Callaway would strive to ‘do better’ in future as he had promised
Callaway said he didn’t intend to slap the reporter on the rear. He said he was raising his arm trying to pat her on the back or the shoulder and didn’t realize until seeing the video that he had touched her buttocks.
Callaway told Inside Edition: ‘I was getting ready to bring my hands up and wave to the camera to the audience, there was a misjudge in character and decision-making. I touched her back; I did not know exactly where I touched her.’
He went on to say that he was ‘disappointed’ in himself and felt horrible that his actions had negatively impacted Bozarjian.
When an Inside Edition reporter read Bozarjian’s tweet to Callaway, he said acknowledged that she was right.
‘I totally agree 100% with her statement. The two most important words were her last two words, “Do better,” and that’s my intention,’ he said.