Former Lexington Broadcasting radio personality, minister pleads guilty to additional charge
Kerry Mallard, 56, former radio personality at Lexington Broadcasting and local minister, was back in court Friday with additional pending charges against him after being convicted of sexual abuse.
A frail Mallard was rolled into the courtroom in a wheelchair by a guard at the Henderson County Circuit Court, where he faced another count of sexual battery.
Mallard pled guilty to the added count of sexual battery. As a result of this plea, Mallard will have to serve at least 30% of his sentence at the Tennessee Department of Corrections Facility.
More: Local radio personality sentenced to 40 years for sexual assault
More: Lexington sports radio commentator charged with sexual abuse of 4-year-old girl
Judge Roy Morgan read him his rights and assured he understood the allegations and consequences. Mallard softly replied, "yes."
In February, Mallard had received a 40-year sentence in prison on a guilty verdict for one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child. The incidents occurred between 2018 and 2019 when the child was four and five years old.
He was initially charged in October 2019 with sexual abuse.
Mallard’s wife operated a daycare out of their Wildersville home, and the incidents occurred at the facility during daycare hours, according to the case.
Read this: Kerry Mallard case moving to grand jury
There were 22 other convictions of aggravated sexual battery for which the sentencings were merged, resulting in the initial 40-year sentence.
Mallard once served as the advertising and sports director for WBFG-FM 96.5, a major West Tennessee sports station operated by Lexington Broadcasting. He also broadcasted Lexington High School sports games on the company's country music station WZLT-FM 99.3.
Mallard could be in his nineties when he completes his sentence.
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Katrina Smith is an education reporter at The Jackson Sun. Send those story ideas to kmsmith@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Lexington sports radio commentator pleads guilty to new charge
