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Lynyrd Skynyrd Drummer Not a Free Bird

Posted Nov 21st 2007 11:53AM by TMZ Staff

Lynyrd Skynrd drummer Thomas Delmer Pyle was arrested Monday by the St. John's County, Fla. Sheriff's Department for failing to properly register as a sex offender. What's your name, little girl??

The former drummer for the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Thomas Delmer Pyle, aka Artimus Pyle, 59, of Asheville, North Carolina, was booked Monday after he came to the sheriff's office to speak with detectives about a 1993 conviction. Pyle pleaded guilty in 1993 to charges of attempted capital sexual battery by an adult on a victim under the age of 12, and principal to lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 16 years old. He was sentenced to eight years probation and ordered to register as a sex offender.

TMZ obtained charging documents in which Pyle explains the reason for not registering his address is that he "travels a lot."

For now, his sweet home will be behind bars. His bail is currently set at $10,000

UPDATE: Pyle posted bail on Tuesday evening.

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16. 2 words NASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 12:42PM on Nov 21st 2007 by kelly

17. Can someone tell me why a man would be sexually attracted to a child?! I am so sick of these sub-humans. There are more and more of them. Your children are not safe anywhere!

Posted at 12:42PM on Nov 21st 2007 by me

18. Sorry but no matter how nasty a divorce gets, a man isn't found guilty of these kinds of charges without an extensive investigation. And if you read the above correctly, you would see he "pled guilty". An innocent man is never going to admit to raping or fondoling a child. It just wouldn't happen. It sickens me he only got 8 years probation. Sickening.

Posted at 12:52PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Kate

19. I see claims of his "innocence" here, with the finger being pointed to a "vicious ex-wife". This guy plead guilty to sexual battery on a child under 12. If I was charged with such a crime, and was not guilty, there is no ex-wife, nor lawyer, nor ANYTHING that could make me plead guilty to such a thing.

Posted at 1:09PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Ken

20. Although it doesn't matter for the content of this story, TMZ AGAIN gets the facts wrong. Do you idiots do any fact checking out there, or do you just sit around coming up with ways to make fun of people (which is apparent on your dumbass tv show)?

ATTENTION, ILLITERATE TMZ STAFFERS & HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT FACT CHECKERS: Artimus Pyle is NOT the orignal Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer, or even the 2nd or 3rd; the original drummer from 1965 is Bob Burns; he left the band in 1971 & rejoined later, only to leave again. Artimus Pyle joined the band in 1975.

Posted at 1:03PM on Nov 21st 2007 by As usual, TMZ gets it wrong

21. #6 James

You hit the nail right on the head. Vengeance from an ex-wife. I know Artimus a little bit too and he has been totally tried in the media. Anything for ratings. Like I posted in the Nick Hogan story, the press is there to sensationalize not tell the accurate story. It is a shame that people take the press as gospel and not for what they really are.

Posted at 1:07PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Scott

22. This story is misleading and incomplete. Take some time to do the research and find out the facts about Mr. Pyle, his situation, and his "conviction". There is much more here than meets the eye. You will be very surprised.

Posted at 1:16PM on Nov 21st 2007 by bob

23. FRY HIS ASS............

Posted at 1:17PM on Nov 21st 2007 by WHAT

24. SORRY PUKE!
LOCK HIS ASS UP!
QUICK!

Posted at 1:35PM on Nov 21st 2007 by AUNT DAR

25. Castrate h*ll! Shoot these monsters between the eyes and rid the world of the filth...

Posted at 8:32PM on Nov 21st 2007 by BarkyBean

26. I think the lesson would be if you are somehow falsely accused of something, never, ever, ever, plead guilty...even if it's a lesser charge, even if you are being offered a deal. Guilty is guilty. He admitted guilt, therefore he is guilty whether he really did it or not.

Posted at 1:47PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Kitty

27. Excuse me James and Scott, the SOB pled guilty. He admitted guilt, he pled guilty...if you are innocent you sure don't pled guilty.

Posted at 2:20PM on Nov 21st 2007 by duh

28. SOME MEN HERE SHOULD STOP DEFENDING THIS TWISTED SICKO AND STOP BLAMING THE EX-WIFE BECAUSE IT IS LAUGHABLE. AS SOME OF THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS SAID, IF HE WAS INNOCENT THEN HE SHOULD HAVE NOT PLEADED GUILTY.

Posted at 2:06PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Love Life

29. It's just too bad that reality prevents us from just taking child molesters out and unceremoniously killing them! They will NEVER get better and will just go on destroying people's lives when they are just innocent children.

Posted at 2:10PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Doh!!!

30. #27 duh

When you are defended by a public defender the defender is not there to protect you. He is there to get you through the system as fast as possible. In many cases the public defender will tell his/her client to plead guilty because the client does not have the resources to defend himself. A public defender has multitude of clients and must expeidite them through the system ASAP. Therefore because he pled to a charge does not mean he committed a crime or does not mean he was guilty but that is what his public defender wanted him or advised him to do.

Posted at 2:48PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Scott

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