Woman pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault; witness tampering dismissed

GILLILAND
GILLILAND

TEXARKANA, Texas -- A woman who was initially charged with felony witness tampering pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor assault in Bowie County.

Kimberly Michelle Gilliland, 29, appeared Tuesday morning with Texarkana lawyer John Delk before 102nd District Judge Jeff Addison. Gilliland entered a guilty plea to an information charging her with misdemeanor assault, family violence.

Gilliland was first charged with witness tampering in connection with child sex abuse charges facing Ronald Wayne Foster Jr., 51. Gilliland squeezed a 5-year-old girl's cheeks, leaving red marks, according to a probable cause affidavit. She was originally accused of instructing the girl to keep quiet about alleged sexual abuse by Foster.

At a hearing in February, Delk said he did not think the facts supported the original charge in Gilliland's case.

Gilliland was sentenced to two years probation Tuesday morning. Records show she was released later in the afternoon from the Bowie County jail, where she had been held since her arrest Dec. 7, 2021.

Foster remains in custody. He is facing three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child involving an 11-year-old girl. If convicted, he faces five to 99 years or life on each count.

Foster appeared for a pretrial hearing Tuesday with Assistant Public Defender Deborah Moore. He is scheduled to return to court next month.

Foster is being held in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $100,000.

photo Kimberly Michelle Gilliland

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