Jonesboro man sentenced to prison in Canton hotel assault

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Desmond Jamal Camp. Courtesy of Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit

CANTON, Ga. - A 37-year-old Jonesboro man will serve 10 years in prison after a knife attack on his partner inside a Canton hotel room. 

What we know:

Desmond Jamal Camp was ordered to serve 20 years, with the first 10 years in confinement and the rest on probation. A jury found Camp guilty of family violence aggravated assault and false imprisonment on June 11 following a two-day trial. 

The charges came from a Canton Police Department investigation into an April 30, 2025, assault at the Quality Inn. A woman in a relationship with Camp reported that he trapped her in their room, threatened her with a knife, cut her clothes open, and sliced her bleeding hands. 

She ran to the front desk, where an employee called 911, and officers later captured Camp as he tried to drive onto I-575 South. Although the victim asked to dismiss the case shortly after his arrest, the state presented 14 exhibits, including the weapon, torn clothing, and officer body-worn footage showing her terrified state immediately after the assault. 

What we don't know:

The District Attorney's office has not released the specific state prison facility where Camp will be held to serve his 10-year confinement term. Officials also did not note the exact date Camp will be transferred from the local jail into state custody. 

What they're saying:

"Domestic violence cases are often among the most difficult to prosecute because it is not uncommon for victims to later minimize or recant what they initially reported," District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said. "Fear, trauma, family pressures, financial dependence, and hope that the abuse will stop can all influence what happens after an arrest. That is why we follow the evidence and not just one statement in isolation." 

Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe, who prosecuted the case for the Domestic Violence Unit, explained that protecting victims sometimes requires legal action even if they change their minds. "Our commitment is to seek the truth, hold offenders accountable, and help break the cycle of violence," Ashe said. 

What's next:

Once he completes his prison term, Camp must complete a mandatory family violence intervention program and an anger management program while on probation. Judge Davis also signed a special order banishing Camp from entering Cherokee County for the entire duration of his sentence, except for required court dates and probation intake.