Shields of Shame | Georgia Police Accountability | Public Investigation

Jimmy Larry Bilbo: Georgia Deputy Convicted of Child Molestation Who Took Sex Crimes Training While Serving

A Douglas County deputy’s certification was revoked after child molestation convictions. His law enforcement training record raises new questions about the years before his arrest, and a deadly 2005 warrant operation remains part of this disturbing history.

From sheriff’s deputy to convicted child molester

Jimmy Larry Bilbo Jr. served two separate periods with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The first began September 1, 1981, and ended August 18, 1988, with a voluntary resignation. His second began January 22, 2001, and ended September 30, 2003, when Georgia POST recorded a resignation in lieu of termination. His basic law enforcement and radar certifications were subsequently revoked.

According to the Georgia POST case summary provided to Shields of Shame, Bilbo faced an indictment containing aggravated child molestation, child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, and solicitation of sodomy charges. The summary reports that he pleaded guilty to five child molestation counts, with the remaining charges dismissed by nolle prosequi, and received concurrent 20 year sentences. The indictment allegations should not be confused with the offenses of conviction.

The four hour training course that demands attention

Buried in Bilbo’s official POST training history is an entry dated January 23, 2002: SEX CRIMES INVESTIGATION, course IBS00G, four hours. This was during his second term as a Douglas County deputy.

According to the corrections dates provided for this investigation, the underlying offenses occurred in 1999, 2001 and 2002. That places some of the reported criminal conduct within his period of active law enforcement employment. The course entry establishes that he completed the training; it does not establish what instructors knew, whether complaints had been made, or whether the training itself was connected to the crimes.

February 24, 2005: Deputy Blake Gammill killed

The case took a deadly turn during a warrant operation in Douglasville. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, deputies had arrested the suspect in the living room and were clearing the house when the suspect’s stepfather opened fire from another room. Deputy Haven Blake Gammill, age 30, was fatally wounded. A deputy returned fire, killing the gunman.

Bilbo did not shoot Deputy Gammill. The distinction is essential. His case was the reason for the arrest operation, but the fatal shots were fired by the stepfather, according to the memorial account.

Gammill served eight years with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. He left behind two children and a fiancée. The account of his death must never become a footnote to the investigation of Bilbo.

Read Deputy Gammill’s Officer Down Memorial Page tribute.

What led to the deadly return to the house?

In a February 24, 2025 retrospective, former deputy Edward Englett described Bilbo’s bond being revoked following reported concerns about attempted witness contact. Englett expressly qualified parts of his account as recollection or information he had heard. This is a valuable lead for further reporting, not a substitute for a court order, transcript or warrant affidavit.

Those primary records could establish the actual grounds for the bond decision, the authorization for the operation, and the sequence of events. Read Englett’s retrospective account.

Nearly 18 and a half years in Georgia prison

The Georgia Department of Corrections dates supplied for this investigation show Bilbo entering state prison on September 19, 2006, and being released February 23, 2025. That is approximately 18 years and five months.

The timing is striking: Bilbo’s recorded release was one day before the 20th anniversary of Deputy Gammill’s death. There is no evidence in the records reviewed that the release date was chosen because of the anniversary.

Timeline: the Bilbo case

Evidence gallery and official records

These materials are hosted by Shields of Shame. Open each record in a separate tab to examine the underlying information.

Unanswered questions and records still worth obtaining

• What was the documented reason for Bilbo’s September 2003 resignation in lieu of termination?
• Did the sheriff’s office receive complaints or warnings during either period of employment?
• What do the original indictment, plea transcript and sentencing orders say?
• What did the court find when it revoked Bilbo’s bond?
• What do the arrest warrant, SWAT operational records and shooting investigation establish about the 2005 operation?
• What employment supervision and internal affairs records remain available under Georgia law?

Why this case matters

The most consequential questions are not answered by the conviction alone. The record invites scrutiny of institutional warning signs, employee supervision and the information available to the sheriff’s office before Bilbo left in 2003. It also demands precise reporting about the fatal operation that killed Deputy Gammill, whose death was caused by a different person.

Shields of Shame will distinguish verified records, reported accounts and unresolved questions as additional evidence becomes available. If you have firsthand information or relevant public records, contact Shields of Shame through the website.

Editorial note: This page distinguishes criminal allegations from convictions and identifies secondary accounts as such. The investigation is based on the supplied Georgia POST materials, the corrections dates supplied for this case, and independently identified public reporting. Further primary court and personnel records may clarify or correct the chronology. No allegations are made against Deputy Gammill.