TROUP COUNTY, Ga. - A Troup County jury convicted a 48-year-old man of rape and child molestation, leading to a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
What we know:
A Troup County jury found Michael Anthony Barnett, 48, guilty of rape and child molestation following a two-day trial.
Superior Court Judge Travis Sakrison sentenced Barnett to life in prison without parole, plus an additional 29 years to serve and one year of probation.
Georgia law requires at least one year of probation for sex crimes.
Jurors acquitted Barnett on three other counts of child molestation and one count of criminal attempt to commit aggravated child molestation.
What we don't know:
Officials have not released the specific location where the abuse occurred.
Authorities have not detailed whether Barnett faces any additional legal proceedings in North Carolina.
The backstory:
A 16-year-old girl reported to her counselor on Feb. 28, 2023, that Barnett was sexually abusing her.
Barnett had threatened to hurt the girl if she ever told anyone, but she came forward after he moved to North Carolina.
During a forensic interview at the Troup County Children’s Advocacy Center, the victim disclosed that Barnett sexually abused her from the time she was 4 years old until she was 14.
The victim’s two siblings also disclosed sexual abuse when questioned by authorities.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Troup County court records, who detailed the trial proceedings and sentencing, as well as the LaGrange Police Department.