Jonesboro man convicted in Cherokee hotel assault case
Desmond Jamal Camp. Courtesy of Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A Cherokee County jury has convicted a Jonesboro man of aggravated assault and false imprisonment for an attack on his intimate partner at a Canton hotel last year.
What we know:
According to the Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, jurors on June 11 found 37-year-old Desmond Jamal Camp guilty of family violence aggravated assault and false imprisonment. He was acquitted of two additional counts of family violence aggravated assault and one count of family violence battery.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 23.
Assault reported at Canton hotel
The backstory:
The charges stem from an April 30, 2025, incident at the Quality Inn in Canton.
According to investigators, Canton police responded to a 911 call reporting an assault inside a hotel room.
When officers arrived, they found the victim wrapped in a blanket after her shirt and shorts had been cut open, exposing the front of her body. The woman told police she had been staying at the hotel while working for a nearby employer.
Investigators said the victim and Camp were in a dating relationship.
The victim told officers she returned to the hotel after working overnight and went to sleep. She said Camp wanted to have sex, but she refused.
According to prosecutors, Camp then attempted to remove her clothing and grabbed a large knife from his backpack, holding it to her throat. During the encounter, the victim suffered cuts to her hand that bled onto the bed.
Victim escapes and calls for help
What they're saying:
The woman told investigators she fled the room when Camp became distracted.
She ran to the hotel's front desk, where an employee brought her into a back office and called 911.
Authorities said Camp left the hotel and drove toward Interstate 575 South. Canton police stopped and detained him before he could enter the interstate.
Officers reported finding evidence that matched the victim's account, including a knife, blood on the bed and cuts on the victim's hand.
Jury hears evidence during trial
What happened:
During the two-day trial, prosecutors called seven witnesses, including the victim, the 911 caller, law enforcement officers and a domestic violence expert.
Jurors also reviewed evidence that included the victim's cut clothing, the knife, photographs, the 911 call and body-camera footage from responding officers.
After about six hours of deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts on the aggravated assault and false imprisonment charges.
The case was investigated by the Canton Police Department and prosecuted by the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.