Alejandro Rangel booking photo (Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office)
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A 59-year-old Norcross man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Gwinnett County jury convicted him of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl over a two-month span.
What we know:
A Gwinnett County jury found Alejandro Rangel, 59, guilty of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and five counts of child molestation, according to court documents.
Jurors deliberated for about two hours before returning a guilty verdict on all charges.
The judge sentenced Rangel to life in prison plus one year of probation for sexually abusing the teenager over two months in 2024.
"We are thankful for the outcome of this trial and grateful for the team of prosecutors and investigators who put this case together," District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said.
The backstory:
The defendant began touching the victim inappropriately and against her will in May 2024, continuing the abuse sporadically through June 2024 until contact ceased, according to trial details.
Later that year, family members noticed the teenager was visibly uncomfortable and often crying around Rangel when they came into contact again.
The girl reported the abuse to her family, who contacted the Norcross Police Department.
Rangel claimed to investigators that he may have touched the victim while "tickling her too close" to her breasts.
However, the teenager consistently contradicted his statement during forensic interviews and trial testimony, stating he touched her inside her pants.
Special Victims Unit Assistant District Attorneys Mikaela Henderson and Kathy Li prosecuted the case alongside SVU Investigator Michael Bednarz, SVU Victim Witness Advocate Rocio Pineda, and the Norcross Police Department.
What we don't know:
Officials have not publicly disclosed the specific location where the abuse occurred or the exact relationship between Rangel and the victim's family.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson, who provided statements and case details following the trial, as well as the Norcross Police Department and the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office Special Victims Unit.