Wednesday, August 6, 2003
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Wednesday, August 6, 2003 |
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Stepfather gets 50 years for molesting girl, 13 By JOHN MUNFORD
A Peachtree City man was convicted yesterday of various charges for molesting his then-stepdaughter several years ago. Charles Joseph Louis, 50, was sentenced to 50 years in prison by Superior Court Judge Johnnie L. Caldwell Jr. A jury convicted Louis of two counts of aggravated child molestation, one count of child molestation, one count of aggravated sexual battery and one count of enticing a child for indecent purposes. He was found not guilty on a second count of aggravated sexual battery. The victim, a 13-year-old girl, testified in court Monday that Louis threatened to kill her and her family if she ever told anyone that he molested her. The girl said Louis first molested her at their Peachtree City home and later at their home in Brooks. Louis testified briefly Tuesday morning, denying that he ever molested his former stepdaughter. The incidents occurred between Nov. 1, 1999, and Mar. 31, 2001, according to court documents. Louis's defense attorney, John Beall, told the jury in opening statements that there was no physical evidence in the case and the prosecution depended on the credibility of the witnesses. Two of Louis's nieces testified during the trial that he molested them during a visit to his former home in Carrollton. Louis also denied those allegations. Investigator Renee McCollum of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department testified that the victim used anatomically correct dolls to show what Louis had done to her. McCollum said the victim told her that Louis once got her away from other children playing outside the house by telling her to come inside to take her medicine.
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