Columbus man sentenced in Fayette County GSI case

The Fayette County Prosecutor's Office announced April 7 that a Columbus man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on gross sexual imposition charges.

On Thursday, March 26, Jeffrey Lightle, 44, of Columbus reached a plea agreement with the Fayette County Prosecutor’s Office in which he agreed to plead guilty to two counts of gross sexual imposition, felonies of the third degree, with an agreed 10-year prison sentence.

Lightle will also be required to serve five years of post-release control and register as a tier II sex offender upon his release. The defendant had originally been charged in an eight-count indictment that included charges of rape. 

The allegations were that the defendant sexually assaulted two different minor victims on two separate occasions. The agreement was reached and agreed to with the approval of the mother of the victims.