Acworth man convicted, sentenced for molesting 8-year-old child

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga, - A 45-year-old Acworth man has been sentenced to 40 years, with the first 20 years in prison and the remainder on probation, for two counts of child molestation.

What we know:

Dustin Luther Wilkes was sentenced on April 8 by Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis, according to District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway, after being found guilty by a jury on Feb. 25.

Wilkes is also forbidden to have contact with the named victims in the case. 

The Cherokee County investigation began in December 2023 after a child disclosed that Wilkes had been sexually assaulting her for several months. The defendant was known to the child and committed the acts when the child was in third grade.

What they're saying:

"This predator manipulated his way into this family, to the point that he was often alone with an 8-year-old child and able to commit these criminal acts of molestation upon her. In the span of five months, a happy little girl became quiet and withdrawn," said Assistant District Attorney Meaghan Frankish, of the Special Victims Unit, who prosecuted this case on behalf of the State. 

It was while attending a Shop with a Cop Christmas event that the child found the courage to tell her mother what Wilkes had been doing.

During a forensic interview, she described how Wilkes would climb on top of her and rub his body on her body and tell her he loved her. He also told her not to tell anyone what he was doing.

The jury deliberated less than 30 minutes before finding Wilkes guilty.

Prior to pronouncing her sentence, Judge Davis spoke about the bravery of the child and the positive impact law enforcement had on the course of her life through the Shop with a Cop event.

The case was investigated by the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Meaghan Frankish, of the Special Victims Unit, Office of the District Attorney, Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit.