Updated Sept. 30, 2011, 4:55 p.m.
Correction appended
A GW School of Business professor pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of attempted sex abuse, nearly three months after he groped two 16-year-old girls at the National Gallery of Art.
Visiting professor Bartholomew Timm, who was charged twice with misdemeanor sexual abuse for touching two females at the museum July 4, was sentenced to one year of probation, according to court documents. The court also issued 90 days of incarceration but suspended the execution of that sentence, meaning he will not face jail time.
Timm “grabbed the buttocks” of one girl and also “squeezed” another girl’s rear end that day, according to the documents. The girls were part of a high school group on a trip at the museum.
Timm’s faculty appointment at the University expires at the end of the semester and he is not currently teaching any courses, University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said. She said his appointment was part of a terminal contract that did not include an option for renewal.
Before switching over to a faculty role, Timm served as the executive director of MBA programs at the business school from June 2009 to January 2010.
Police officers at the museum detained Timm after receiving reports that he inappropriately touched two girls while they were walking down a corridor. He extended an arm toward the second juvenile girl immediately after grabbing the first student, according to the documents.
Following his arrest and the court charges filed the next day, the D.C. Superior Court ordered Timm to stay away from both the gallery and the girls he groped, as well as “to not harass, assault, threaten or stalk any females under the age of 18,” according to the documents.
Timm declined to comment on the sentence and his guilty plea.
This article was updated on Sept. 30, 2011 to reflect the following:
The Hatchet incorrectly reported that Bartholomew Timm pled guilty to sexual assault. In fact, he pled guilty to sexual abuse. It also previously stated that he was sentenced to 90 days of jail time. While he was issued 90 days of jail time, that sentence was also suspended at the same time, meaning he will not face incarceration.