Illustration: A DeKalb County Police vehicle. Photo obtained via Wikimedia Commons

A former DeKalb County Police Officer has pleaded guilty to child molestation charges and will serve five years in prison, the District Attorney’s Office says.

The DA’s office announced on May 27 that Manuel Williams pleaded guilty to three counts of child molestation and was sentenced to 10 years. He will serve five years of that sentence in prison, a press release from the DA’s office says.  Williams resigned from the Police Department in 2012 after he was arrested in connection with the crime.

“[Williams] took an oath to protect and serve the people of DeKalb County. Instead, he molested a vulnerable young child,” DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James said in the press release. “It’s always disheartening to see sworn officers violate the public’s trust.”

Williams must turn himself in on Friday, May 30, the press release says. Upon his release from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender and undergo treatment. He will not be allowed to have any unsupervised contact with minors, the press release says.