Fulton County Man Sentenced to 100 Years for Child Molestation

Shakir Cole, a 38-year-old man, has been convicted this past week of molesting three different girls in Fulton County.

According to the reports, Cole hired a 13 year old girl, a 16 year old girl, and a girl under the 12 years old to babysit his children. While the girls were babysitting, Cole sat next to them and sexually molested them in his living room. Once the first girl came forward, more victims reported his abuse.

As a Georgia Sex Crimes Lawyer, I will outline the offense that Cole was both charged with and convicted of in today's post.

Child Molestation in Georgia

Child molestation in Georgia is defined by law in O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4(a) as:

A person commits the offense of child molestation when the person either:

• Does any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of or with any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person; or
• By means of an electronic device, transmits images of a person engaging in, inducing, or otherwise participating in any immoral or indecent act to a child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person.

Child molestation is a felony offense in Georgia. Georgia Felony Punishments are severe and should not be handled lightly.

For the first child molestation conviction, the accused will face a sentence of five to twenty years in prison. In addition, the Department of Corrections will provide counseling to the defendant. For a second or subsequent conviction of child molestation, the punishment increases to a prison term between ten and thirty years or life in prison.

Cole was convicted of child molestation in three different situations and therefore, was sentenced to what seems like the full extent of the law.

Moreover, a child molestation conviction comes with the requirement that the defendant register as a sex offender. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is intended to be regulatory mechanism.

Practice Note

As you can see from the outline of the law above, a charge of child molestation carries substantial penalties. Even tough Cole has been convicted and sentenced, there are situations in which a person is wrongfully accused. If you have been accused or arrested, contact a Georgia Sex Crimes Attorney today.