Crime & Safety
Man Convicted Of Child Molestation Sentenced In Cherokee
A man was convicted of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl three times at a Cherokee County store, prosecutors said.
CANTON, GA — A Canton man was sentenced to prison after being convicted of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl multiple times at a Riverstone Parkway grocery store, prosecutors said.
A jury on June 26 found Lucas Simon Lucas-Juan, 41, guilty of three counts of child molestation, Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway's office said Tuesday.
On July 22, 2024, Lucas-Juan was accused of sexually abusing a child twice inside the store and once in a parked car while in the parking lot.
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A store employee collecting grocery carts saw Lucas-Juan "commit immoral and indecent acts on a little girl" inside the car, Assistant District Attorney David J. Bailey said in a news release. The staffer went back into the store, and notified authorities, giving them a car description and license plate, Bailey said.
Authorities viewed surveillance video, which prosecutors said showed two more incidents involving the same child happening inside the store earlier in the day.
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After Lucas-Juan was found guilty, Cherokee County Superior Court Judge Shannon Wallace sentenced him on July 10.
During the sentencing, Bailey said "the defendant’s behavior escalated to the point where he committed the final, most egregious act in the parking lot" in the "short time" Lucas-Juan and the girl were at the store, prosecutors said.
Wallace sentenced Lucas-Juan to 30 years, with the first 29 years to be served in prison and the balance to be served on probation, prosecutors said.
Lucas-Juan is also prohibited from contacting the child or her family, must register as a sex offender and abide by all sex offender special conditions of probation, prosecutors said.
“This case is a stark reminder that child sexual abuse can happen even in plain view in public places,” Treadway said in a news release. “This case underscores the importance of businesses, citizens and law enforcement working together to safeguard our children.”
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