'Is this about the girl?': Man convicted of Acworth attempted rape
Sedric Charles Williams (Cherokee County Sheriff's Office)
CANTON, Ga. - A Cherokee County jury found 33-year-old Sedric Charles Williams guilty of criminal attempt to commit rape and sexual battery after a highway overpass attack.
The verdict came Thursday following a four-day trial in Canton.
Cherokee County Jury Conviction
What we know:
A jury convicted Sedric Charles Williams, 33, of one count of criminal attempt to commit rape and two counts of sexual battery on Thursday.
Jurors deliberated for less than an hour before returning the guilty verdict, while finding him not guilty of criminal attempt to commit aggravated sodomy.
The conviction stems from an early morning attack on Aug. 1, 2024, along Highway 92 near Acworth.
A woman told deputies she was walking from McDonald's to RaceTrac when an unknown man asked her for sex and then followed her onto the Highway 92 and I-75 overpass to assault her.
Cherokee Sheriff Investigation Details
The backstory:
The victim escaped her attacker and hid inside the RaceTrac store while calling 911. Cherokee Sheriff's Office deputies reviewed RaceTrac security footage and sent images of Williams to neighboring law enforcement agencies.
A deputy spotted Williams on Aug. 2, 2024. When approached, Williams asked the deputy, "Is this about the girl?" and claimed, "I just touched her back."
DNA Evidence In Canton Trial
By the numbers:
Prosecutors presented more than 50 exhibits during the four-day trial that began Sunday, Sept. 28. Evidence included the victim's 911 call, surveillance footage showing both individuals right after the assault, and physical evidence from a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exam.
Nine witnesses testified for the state, including the victim, another similar victim, law enforcement officers, a sexual assault nurse, and a Georgia Bureau of Investigation forensic biologist who linked Williams' DNA to the crime scene.
Superior Court Judicial Sentencing
What's next:
Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis set sentencing for Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Unanswered Questions In Case
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet announced the exact prison sentence Williams faces at his upcoming court appearance.
It remains unclear where Williams will serve his sentence following the court's formal ruling.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway, who issued a press release on the conviction, as well as the Cherokee Sheriff's Office.