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Paris, Tenn.–A jury trial of a Paris man that had been scheduled to begin today in Henry County Circuit Court was cancelled after a plea agreement was reached with the defendant.
John Joseph Gibbs III, age 53, had been charged with four counts of rape of a child. He was indicted in March 2024.
The trial had been set for three days before Judge Bruce Griffey. The plea agreement was arrived at prior to the jury being chosen.
According to the plea agreement released by the court, Gibbs pleaded guilty to sexual battery and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to serve two years at 100 percent served for sexual battery and eight years at 100 percent served on the aggravated assault charge. The sentences are to run consecutively.
Gibbs was given credit for 531 spent in jail on the charges. He will be placed on the State Sex Offender Registry upon release from jail.
His attorney is Jasmine Hatcher. The Assistant District Attorney is Morgan Crocker.