A Spring City man was charged Dec. 29 with the sexual battery of his 16-year-old baby sitter. He remains in the Rhea County Jail after being charged twice more on other related charges, one stemming from phone calls he was allegedly making from the jail, according to Rhea County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Charles Byrd.

The initial incident reportedly occurred after 42-year-old Dwight L. Smith, of Glenn Lane in Spring City, picked up his baby sitter the night of Dec. 28, according to Chief Deputy Byrd. The girl was to baby-sit the couple's children the following day while Smith and his wife were away.

Byrd said that after Smith picked the girl up at her home around 11 p.m. she went to bed and Smith allegedly entered the bedroom where the girl was and began "coming on to her" and fondling her outside of her clothes.

"When he started putting his hands on her," Byrd said, "she made him leave her alone, so she took care of the problem herself."

The girl and Smith's wife contacted Circuit Court Clerk John Fine and swore to a warrant on Smith, and he was arrested around 5:30 a.m. the same morning.

"He didn't admit to anything," Byrd said Tuesday of Smith's interview. "He said he didn't remember. The victim said he (Smith) was drinking and came into the bedroom and fondled her at least once that night."

Smith was booked at the Rhea County Jail Dec. 29 for public intoxication and an additional charge was entered for sexual battery, according to jail records. As Smith was about to be released on $500 and $8,000 bond for public intoxication, deputies served him with an order of protection granted to his wife.

After Smith paid his bond, around 1:45 the morning of New Year's Eve, Smith's 27-year-old wife reported that Smith entered the home, taking keys to the house, car and post office box, and left in her 1993 Mercury minivan, according to Deputy Robert Dillard. Dillard said Smith admitted to his wife's allegations, and his actions constituted a violation of the order of protection.

Smith was again jailed, held on a $5,000 bond for violating the order of protection. While in jail again, Smith allegedly began making phone calls to his estranged wife New Year's Day, said Deputy Jerry Cheeks who investigated the third incident.

"He called her at 1:52 p.m. on Jan. 1 from the jail phone, harassing her," Cheeks explained in his report. Smith's wife again swore to a circuit court warrant for phone harassment Monday and yet another charge was added to Smith's seven-day tally.

The $8,500 bond Smith was released on initially for charges of sexual battery and public intoxication was surrendered back to the court, and now Smith is currently being held on combined bonds of $14,250, including the $5,000 for violating the protection order and $750 for making harassing phone calls.

Smith is scheduled to appear in Rhea County Circuit Court Jan. 14 for a hearing on all charges.