William Prather (Paulding County Sheriff's Office)
PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. - A 64-year-old Paulding County man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of aggravated sexual battery earlier this year.
Superior Court Senior Judge Ralph Van Pelt handed down a sentence of life imprisonment plus 55 years for William Prather, of Dallas, on Tuesday.
The backstory:
In January, Prather was convicted by a jury on charges of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of child molestation, false imprisonment, and three counts of sexual exploitation of children.
An investigation began at the end of May 2023 after accusations surfaced that Prather had sexually assaulted a 12-year-old. The child’s guardian reported the incident to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.
After a four-day trial and a day of deliberation, Prather was found guilty on all seven counts.
What they're saying:
"After a year of steady leadership, rebuilding, and focused training, these convictions are becoming the norm — not the exception. This office is committed to protecting children, holding predators accountable, and restoring trust in our justice system. Justice will be delivered in Paulding County. We are ‘Probation Paulding’ no more. Our office remains steadfast in its mission: to seek truth, do justice, and protect the most vulnerable among us," District Attorney Robert S. Lane stated. I am also proud of the victim’s courage in coming forward and extremely grateful for the tireless work of law enforcement and Assistant District Attorney Deidra Alexander and Senior Assistant District Attorney John Tully, who ensured justice in this case."
The Source: The details in this article come from the Pualding County District Attorney's Office and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.