Police Say 2 Condoms Were Found After Sidney Starr's Arrest in Child Sex Case

Q: Why is Sidney Starr being held without bond, and what happens next as Fulton County prosecutors take over the case?

Sidney Starr is being held without bond because she is jailed on serious Georgia felony charges involving a minor, including aggravated child molestation and sodomy, and jail records show no bond has been set. In Georgia, bond in major felony sex-crime cases—especially those involving a child—is often not available at arrest through a lower court and must be addressed later by a judge in Superior Court. What happens next is that the case moves out of the initial police stage and into prosecution by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. Hapeville police have said the matter has been turned over to Fulton prosecutors, meaning the DA will review the evidence, decide how to formally proceed, and handle future court filings and hearings. The next major step is Starr’s scheduled court appearance on Aug. 25, according to court records cited in reporting. At that stage, the court can address issues such as counsel, the status of the charges, and potentially bond. Prosecutors will then decide whether to seek an indictment from a grand jury, which is the usual route for felony cases in Georgia Superior Court. Because the alleged victim is a juvenile, police have said they will release few additional details publicly. Starr has denied the allegations, asked for privacy, and remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 5

Police records say an opened condom fell from Sidney Starr's clothing during a pat-down after her arrest, and officers found a second condom in her pocket.
Hapeville police were called to an Embassy Suites after an employee reported a minor had been sexually assaulted; officers then interviewed the minor and the minor's parents before detaining Starr.
The report says Starr told officers a man in the hotel lobby said he was 18 and went with her to her room, but police identified the alleged victim as younger than 16 and said Starr admitted performing oral sex.
Starr remains in custody as prosecutors weigh charges including sodomy and child molestation; she denied the allegations a day earlier and said she would fight them in court.