A jury convicted Jefferson Watson on one count each of child molestation OCGA § 16-6-4 a, aggravated child molestation OCGA § 16-6-4 c, and distribution of cocaine OCGA § 16-13-30. On appeal, he asserts that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress evidence seized from his home and further that the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions. On March 1, 2008, Deputy Jason Barber of the Tift County Sheriff’s Department was searching for N. M., a 15-year-old runaway girl. N. M.’s mother told the deputy that N. M. might be with Watson1 and directed the officers to the trailer park where Watson lived. Barber and two other officers went to Watson’s mobile home, where they saw two pickup trucks parked outside. While one officer made “numerous attempts . . . to get someone to answer the front door” without success, Barber and another officer went to the back door. The trailers were lined up in a row, and no fence or other obstacle blocked the officer’s path to the back door. After about four to five minutes of knocking on the back door with no response, Barber tried the doorknob and the door opened outward. Barber announced through the open door that he was a deputy with the Tift County Sheriff’s Office and called three times for somebody to come to the back door. He did not enter the trailer. When Barber heard no response or movement, he called, “If nobody comes to the back door, I’m coming inside the house to check.” Barber then heard someone moving around inside the trailer, and “almost immediately,” Watson met him at the back door. He was wearing pajama bottoms and was wrapped in a blanket. Barber still had not entered the mobile home at this point.
Barber told Watson that he was looking for N. M., who had run away from home. Watson replied that he had not seen N. M., that she was not there and that she had not been to his house. Barber then asked for permission to come into the house to look for the girl, and Watson agreed. Shortly after Barber entered the house, he again asked Watson if N. M. was there, and this time Watson admitted that she was in the trailer, although he did not know exactly where she was. Watson called out N.s name as they approached his bedroom, and Watson indicated that N. M. was in the closet. When Barber opened the door, he found N. M., unclothed, inside. Police took N. M. into custody and placed Watson under arrest for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
