Defendant Robert Lowther was convicted by a jury of two counts of child molestation and two counts of enticing a child for indecent purposes,1 and appeals. 1. Lowther first contends that the trial court erred by admitting a statement he made to the investigating officer in which he denied being alone in his bedroom with the eight-year-old victim by explaining to the officer that he had learned his lesson when he “lost” his wife after he ran off with a fifteen-year-old girl from his church and got her pregnant. At trial, Lowther objected to the introduction of this statement on the basis that it would implicate his character and would inflame the jury.2 The State argues the admission of the statement was not error because it constituted an integral part of Lowther’s inculpatory statement or confession. We cannot agree with this characterization. Lowther’s statement to the officer was exculpatory and his reference to having learned his lesson was offered as an explanation as to why he would not have the victim in his bedroom, where she contended the acts of molestation occurred.
It does not follow, however, that Lowther’s conviction must be reversed. Under the highly probable test, which is the standard for weighing nonconstitutional error in criminal cases, Johnson v. State , 238 Ga. 59, 61 230 SE2d 869 1976, “a reversal is not required if the evidence of ‘guilt is overwhelming in that there is no reasonable probability that the verdict of the jury would have been different in the absence of this error. Cit.’ Berry v. State , 210 Ga. App. 789, 791 3 437 SE2d 630 1993.” Felder v. State , 266 Ga. 574, 576 2 468 SE2d 769 1996. Having reviewed the transcript of the proceedings below, we find that the direct and circumstantial evidence presented by the State of Lowther’s guilt of the crimes charged was overwhelming and that the improperly admitted statement “does not constitute reversible error, since, viewing the posture of the entire record, we find that it is highly probably that such error . . . did not contribute to the verdict.” Citations and punctuation omitted. Id at 576 2. Hayward v. State , 258 Ga. App. 566, 567-569 1 b 574 SE2d 646 2002
