A former Tyrone resident was arrested last week for molesting a female relative under the age of 10, according to officials with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.

Bruce Alan McDonald, 45, of Christopher Road, Sharpsburg, is charged with aggravated child molestation, according to sheriff’s Detective Josh Shelton.

McDonald is believed to have committed several similar offenses over a period of time, but the most recent one occurred last year, Shelton said. There is a potential for more charges to be filed as the investigation continues, Shelton said.

The incident McDonald is charged with took place at his residence in the Whispering Pines mobile home park in Tyrone.

McDonald remains in the Fayette County Jail awaiting a bond hearing by a Fayette County Superior Court judge.

The victim divulged the incident after she received counseling last month, Shelton said. The resulting investigation spanned several weeks and involved interviews of multiple witnesses prior to McDonald’s arrest, Shelton confirmed.

Under Georgia statutes, aggravated child molestation is considered to have occurred when a child under age 16 is molested resulting in an injury or if an act of sodomy occurred.

If convicted, McDonald faces a minimum five-year prison sentence and being forced to register as a sex offender.

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