Warner Robins man sentenced to 18 years in prison for child molestation

38-year-old James Anthony Badaczewski pleaded guilty Thursday in Houston County Superior Court.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A Warner Robins man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to child molestation.

38-year-old James Anthony Badaczewski pleaded guilty Thursday in Houston County Superior Court. Badaczewski was sentenced to 20 years, with the first 18 years to be served in prison. He had been scheduled to begin trial Monday before opting to plead guilty.

According to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office, the investigation found that Badaczewski engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct in the presence of a child who was 11 years old at the time. Badaczewski was in a romantic relationship with an adult family member of the child.

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Investigations Division began investigating after a disclosure was made to law enforcement in 2023. Badaczewski was arrested following a forensic interview of the child conducted by a third-party interviewer at the Crescent House Child Advocacy Center in Macon.

Sgt. Kevin Harper with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office was the lead investigator. Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth McDaniel prosecuted the case.

McDaniel released the following statement:

“To have a front row seat to witness the strength and resilience of child victims is this job’s greatest reward. In my line of work, I constantly speak to children who have endured circumstances no child should ever have to face. Through it all, I get to see their strength, courage, and ability to persevere. Our children deserve to be protected and to be given the opportunity to move forward knowing the adults around them will stand up for them. Being a voice for child victims is an honor and responsibility that I do not take lightly.”

Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards released the following statement:

“Cases involving the sexual abuse of children require investigators, prosecutors, and forensic interviewers who understand how to obtain reliable evidence without causing further trauma to a child who has already experienced something no child should have to endure. I am particularly grateful to the professionals at the Crescent House Child Advocacy Center in Macon for the exceptional work they do in providing that specialized service to children and to law enforcement agencies throughout our region. Their expertise and professionalism were invaluable in this case. I also want to thank Sgt. Kevin Harper and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Investigations Division for taking this child’s disclosure seriously and conducting a thorough investigation, and Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth McDaniel for her work in ensuring that this offender was held accountable. An eighteen-year prison sentence reflects the seriousness with which our office and our community treat the sexual exploitation of children.”