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Canton man convicted of raping, molesting teenage girls in Cherokee County

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  March 19, 2026 5:52pm EDT
Cherokee County
FOX 5 Atlanta
article

Monquezias Deshad Watts (Cherokee County Sheriff's Office)

The Brief

    • A Cherokee County jury convicted 33-year-old Monquezias Deshad Watts of 10 felony charges involving the sexual abuse of teenage girls.
    • The Canton man was found guilty of four counts of rape, five counts of child molestation, and one count of aggravated sexual battery.
    • Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 26 following the eight-day criminal trial.

CANTON, Ga. - A Canton man faces a lengthy prison sentence after a Cherokee County jury found him guilty Thursday of sexually abusing multiple teenage girls, including a child under the age of 13.

Canton man convicted on 10 felony counts

What we know:

The investigation into Monquezias Deshad Watts began in April 2021 after a 14-year-old girl disclosed that Watts had sexually assaulted her. As the Canton Police Department moved forward with the case, investigators identified additional victims who were all under the age of 16 at the time of the offenses. 

Prosecutors presented evidence during the trial showing that Watts provided drugs and alcohol to the teenagers before assaulting them while they were asleep or otherwise impaired. In total, jurors heard from 28 witnesses, including the victims, law enforcement officers, and child abuse experts. 

After eight days of testimony and seven hours of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on four counts of rape, five counts of child molestation, and one count of aggravated sexual battery.

What we don't know:

While the jury convicted Watts on 10 counts, he was acquitted of three additional charges. The specific details regarding those acquittals have not been released. Additionally, the specific sentence Watts faces will not be determined until his formal hearing.

Sentencing scheduled for late March

What's next:

Watts remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing. Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis has set that court date for March 26.

Evidence presented during eight-day trial

By the numbers:

  • 33: The age of the defendant, Monquezias Deshad Watts.
  • 10: The total number of felony convictions handed down by the jury.
  • 28: The number of witnesses who testified during the trial.
  • 100: The approximate number of exhibits introduced by the District Attorney’s Office, including a recorded forensic interview.
  • 7: The number of hours the jury deliberated before reaching a verdict.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit.

Cherokee CountyNewsCrime and Public Safety