Cherokee County woman sentenced to prison after abusing child for years
Candice Nicole McClure. Photo courtesy of Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A 35-year-old woman has been sentenced to decades in prison after being convicted of abusing her own child in Cherokee County, prosecutors said.
What we know:
District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway announced that Candice Nicole McClure, of Lenox, was sentenced April 2 to 40 years in prison by Superior Court Judge Shannon Wallace following a jury trial.
After a four-day trial, jurors found McClure guilty of one count of aggravated assault and two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree. The charges stem from a 2023 investigation that began when a Cherokee County elementary school teacher reported suspected abuse.
According to investigators, the child disclosed being kicked, punched and choked. During a follow-up visit, Division of Family & Children Services workers documented injuries, including bruising and marks consistent with being struck by a belt. Medical providers later confirmed significant injuries during an evaluation at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Prosecutors presented testimony from 12 witnesses, including the child, medical professionals, law enforcement and child advocacy experts. Jurors deliberated for about two and a half hours before returning a guilty verdict.
What they're saying:
"The family was new to Cherokee County, and we believe the abuse had been ongoing before the family arrived. The schoolteachers are the heroes in this case. They recognized the signs of abuse and created a safe place for the child to come forward," said Assistant District Attorney David Bailey.
At sentencing, the child delivered a victim impact statement, telling the defendant that no one deserves to be treated that way. Judge Wallace acknowledged the child’s trauma before imposing the maximum sentence allowed under Georgia law.
"The trauma this child experienced is heartbreaking. Instead of protecting her own child, the defendant repeatedly inflicted abuse that caused lasting harm," Treadaway said.