A Winston-Salem man who went against the advice of his attorney appeared in Davie Superior Court May 15.

Timothy Curtis Jones, 26, entered an Alford plea to three charges of taking indecent liberties with a child. An Alford plea is entered when a defendant believes he is innocent but pleads guilty because the evidence against him is so strong it would likely lead to a conviction. It is generally a move made with the advice of an attorney, but that was not the case with Jones.

“My client wanted to do the Alford plea,” said Lynne Hicks. “I discouraged him from it.”

Jones was arrested in 2017 after detectives learned he allegedly inappropriately touched an 8-year-old girl. Assistant DA Rob Taylor said the child “was very detailed in the interview.”

Locating the mother was difficult, he said, as she is known “to consort with lots of different individuals, going from apartment to apartment.” The mother no longer has custody of the child.

Hicks said, “Mr. Jones is merely one of several individuals the mother has been with,” adding Taylor’s description of her lifestyle is accurate. She said Jones has “incredible family support,” telling Judge Marty McGee that Jones’ father and stepmother, seated behind him in court, had been present every time Jones was in court.

“Timothy was not raised up to do stuff like this,” she said.

Jones, clad in an orange jumpsuit and shackled, shook his head when McGee asked him if he had anything to say.

On one count of taking indecent liberties with a child, Jones was sentenced to 12 to 24 months active, with credit for the 253 days he was in jail prior to his trial. He must submit a DNA sample.

On two other charges of taking indecent liberties with a child, Jones received sentences of 12 to 24 months, suspended 36 months probation, with the sentences to run consecutively. He must pay court costs, obtain sex offender counseling, and pay an attorney fee of $1,860.

McGee issued a permanent no-contact order with the victim and ordered Jones to enroll in the sex offender control program and register as a sex offender for 30 years.

Two charges of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult were dismissed.