Sex offender held in killing of 2-year-old

By Marcus K. Garner

Sunday, February 15, 2009

A Cumming man who is a convicted sex offender has been charged in the death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son, police said Saturday night.

Christopher Brian Gilreath, 39, was charged with felony murder, aggravated battery and cruelty to children in connection with the death of Joshua Pinckney, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department.

Joshua was found dead in his bed Friday morning. Preliminary autopsy reports showed the child had suffered multiple blows to the head, authorities said.

The boy’s mother, Miriam Pinckney, was home when police arrived Friday morning, police said. Gilreath was taken into custody and was being held without bond on other charges in Forsyth County jail Saturday when the charges were filed stemming from the child’s death.

Gilreath also is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and failure to register as a sex offender in Georgia. He is a registered sex offender in Pennsylvania, authorities said.

Joshua was adopted from Guatemala, police said, and was one of two adopted children in the home. The Georgia Department of Family and Child Services removed a 2-year-old girl from the home.