Nextdoor cleaning ad leads to five-hour attack and life sentence

Man sentenced to life after rape and screwdriver attack

A Canton man was sentenced to life in prison this week after pleading guilty to 10 criminal counts, including rape and kidnapping, stemming from a five-hour apartment attack on a woman he hired through a social media app, according to prosecutors.  

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A man will spend at least the next 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to 10 criminal counts stemming from a brutal five-hour attack on a woman he hired to clean his home, according to the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office.

Ezekiel Jackson received a life sentence following a plea agreement that concluded the criminal case.

What we know:

Prosecutors said Jackson used the neighborhood network app Nextdoor to lure the victim to his home under the guise of needing a cleaning service. When the woman arrived, Jackson launched a physical attack against her.

"It was at that time the defendant began to stab her with a screwdriver in the face, neck and ultimately in the head," said Kelly Chavis, Assistant District Attorney of the Cherokee County Gang and Organized Crime Unit.

Investigators stated that Jackson sexually assaulted, restrained, and threatened to kill the victim over the course of five hours. The ordeal ended when the victim managed to convince Jackson that she required urgent medical attention.

"After hours of begging, she convinced him to allow her to go to the hospital," Chavis said. "However, he would only agree if he could rape her one more time."

The victim then drove herself to the hospital with Jackson inside the vehicle. Upon their arrival, hospital workers immediately recognized that the woman was in severe danger.

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"The medical staff was able to see the fear and panic in her eyes and obviously very visible injuries, and they brilliantly stepped in and separated the parties and got her back for medical treatment," Chavis said. Police officers arrested Jackson directly at the hospital facility.

During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors detailed the victim's bravery during the assault. Jackson will be eligible for a parole hearing in 30 years, though prosecutors emphasize that his release is not guaranteed, and he could remain behind bars for the rest of his life.

"She was able to honestly save her own life when she was faced with evil. She thought how could she get out of this," Chavis said of the victim's actions. "And she came up with a plan that allowed her to get home to her children."

What we don't know:

While the criminal case has concluded, the victim faces a grueling road to physical recovery. According to Chavis, "She still has active brain bleeding, seizures. She was walking with support. She had to use a walker, in fact. Her balance is off."

Officials have not disclosed how long the victim will require specialized medical monitoring or whether she faces permanent physical disabilities from her head and facial injuries. Prosecutors expressed hope that the conclusion of the court case will allow her to focus entirely on her long-term healing.

"I hope with this plea it is the beginning of her healing. Although I know it is still a long journey, I hope she feels justice was done," Chavis said.