Molestation suspect believed to be in Texas; charged with attack on 12-year-old

A Peachtree City man accused of molesting his fiancée’s 12-year-old daughter isn’t missing at sea as initially reported by his 16-year-old son, police said.

Julian Dale Pipkins, 40, was not in court as scheduled for his criminal trial last week, and his attorney, Paul Liston, said Pipkins’ son told him that Pipkins fell overboard on a fishing trip off the coast of Texas.

But Texas authorities soon punched a few holes in the son’s story, and he later admitted that his father put him up to making the false report, said Peachtree City Police Chief James Murray.

The son initially said after he noticed his father had fallen overboard, he drove the new boat back to the exact spot they launched the boat, even though the 16-year-old had never driven a boat before, Murray said.

As of late Tuesday morning, Pipkins had not yet been located but there was information that he was staying in Texas, Murray said.

The fact that Pipkins is avoiding trial is a clear indicator that he is indeed guilty of the crime, Murray said.

Pipkins was offered a plea deal in which he would serve 10 years in prison, but he turned that down, Murray noted.

Pipkins was arrested after his fiancée reported entering her daughter’s room and finding Pipkins on top of her daughter having sex, Murray said. The woman took the girl and left their apartment at the Summit apartment complex, going to the nearby Wal-Mart and flagging down an officer to report the incident, Murray said.