Man convicted of child molestation after victim reported sexual abuse for years, prosecutors say
63-year-old David M. Blackburn
CANTON, Ga. - A Cherokee County jury found a man guilty of child molestation and cruelty for abusing a child he's related to.
Prosecutors said 63-year-old David M. Blackburn received a 20-year sentence with 10 to be served in confinement and the remainder on probation after a girl younger than 16 years old reported she had been sexually abused for years.
Officials said she provided details about instances of child molestation from 2014 to 2019. She had been trying to tell people for years, prosecutors said.
"Instead of believing her, they insisted that she was mistaken and confused about his intentions," Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hines said. "This case divided a family and forced a child to choose between telling the truth or lying to appease family members. The victim in this case showed amazing strength throughout the investigation and prosecution of this crime."
The trial lasted four days and Blackburn was found guilty of three counts of child molestation and one count of cruelty to children in the first degree.
"This defendant was a trusted adult to this innocent girl who looked up to him like a father," District Attorney Shannon Wallace said in a statement. "He said he was her best friend, and she loved him. He returned that love by manipulating her and using her for his sick perversions. This sentence protects this victim and others in our community from this sexual predator."