Duluth 'Witch Doctor' Convicted Of Raping Woman During Rituals: DA

DULUTH, GA — A 45-year-old Duluth man, who was accused of claiming to be a "witch doctor," has been convicted in connection with the February 2023 rape and sexual assault of a woman.

Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson's office announced Wednesday the conviction of Hasaan Shalgheen.

Shalgheen was arrested on Feb. 6, 2023, a day after a woman told Duluth Police he sexually assaulted her after she went to his apartment to be cleansed during a ritual. Police previously said the woman met Shalgheen on social media.

Shalgheen charged the woman $1,500 to perform "healing ritual to remove evil spirits," of which the woman paid a $200 deposit and agreed to send the balance in installments over 30 days, the D.A.'s office said.

The woman noticed a handgun sitting on a table when entering Shalgheen's home, where she was told the ritual would take three hours, the D.A.'s office said.

Shalgheen was accused of giving the woman a white nightgown to wear; and though she did not want to initially remove her clothes, the D.A.'s office said the woman obliged after remembering Shalgheen had a gun.

RELATED: 'Witch Doctor' Accused Of Raping Duluth Woman: Police

"He then took the nightgown off the woman, and forcibly had sex with her twice. The woman told Shalgheen to let her go, and he refused. He allowed her to get dressed and directed the woman to send him an additional $300, which she did," the D.A.'s office said in a news release.

Police found evidence in Shalgheen's apartment, leading to his arrest, the D.A.'s office said.

Once news broke of Shalgheen's arrest, the D.A.'s office said four women contacted Duluth Police and described similar incidents with Shalgheen.

Two of the women testified during the eight-day trial, which concluded Tuesday. Jury deliberations lasted for nearly a day and a half, the D.A.'s office said.

Shalgheen was convicted of rape, false imprisonment, theft by deception, sexual battery and battery, and was sentenced to life in prison, the D.A.'s office said.

“Victims should not have to feel like they are alone when dealing with this type of crime,” Austin-Gatson said in the release. “We encourage people who have experienced such heinous crimes to come forward and we will get justice. We thank the team that worked on this case, and we thank the jury for returning a conviction.”