Former East Point Police Sergeant Richard Gooddine Sentenced To Life Plus 20 Years After Sex Assault Conviction: He Served As Sergeant-At-Arms For Some City Meetings, Now Faces Decades Behind Bars

A former East Point police officer will spend the rest of his life behind bars. On Tuesday, a Fulton County Superior Court judge sentenced Richard Gooddine to life in prison plus 20 years following his conviction for sexually assaulting a teenager while on duty.

The sentencing brings a definitive end to a high-profile case that has spanned nearly eight years. Last week, a jury found Gooddine guilty on multiple felony counts, including aggravated sexual battery, child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, and two counts of witness intimidation.

The charges stem from a harrowing 2018 incident. Prosecutors proved to a Fulton county jury that Gooddine used his badge, uniform, and squad car to detain a 15-year-old girl under the guise of a curfew violation. Instead of protecting her, Gooddine took her to a secluded area and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said.

The state’s case also highlighted a severe abuse of police authority following the assault. While the young victim was undergoing a medical forensic examination at a local hospital, Gooddine arrived in full uniform. Prosecutors successfully argued that his presence was a deliberate attempt to intimidate the victim and delay the criminal investigation.

This was Gooddine’s second time facing a jury for these crimes. An initial trial in 2022 ended with a partial acquittal and a deadlocked jury on the most severe charges, forcing a mistrial.

Fulton County prosecutors refused to drop the case, leading to the September 2026 retrial. During the proceedings, the state emphasized that Gooddine preyed on a vulnerable minor and weaponized his position of public trust to cover up his actions.

Gooddine was remanded into custody immediately following the hearing and has been in custody since then.

As a former police officer, Gooddine worked off-duty security assignments including at a local retail merchant and also as sergeant-at-arms for several official city meetings, promoting shock from many in the community when the initial allegations were revealed.

Gooddine, 46, could spend decades behind bars before he qualifies for release.