Cobb Man Gets Jail Time For Molesting His Stepdaughter

COBB COUNTY, GA — A Powder Springs man got a 20-year sentence for molesting his stepdaughter, according to Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady.

A Cobb jury convicted Melbin Jeovany Perez, 44, last Thursday of molesting his 12-year-old stepdaughter in the predawn hours of Aug. 25, 2019, per a Tuesday news release. The child immediately disclosed the abuse, which took place in their shared home.

The child underwent a forensic interview, and Cobb police arrested Perez the next day.

“This young lady saw the defendant as the father she didn’t have,” said Patricia Hull, deputy chief assistant district attorney. “She courageously came into this courtroom and not only told 14 strangers what happened to her, but faced her molester, too. Meanwhile, this defendant has merely made excuses and never taken responsibility for his actions.”

The child's mom told the court the jury's verdict "releases a big burden" from her daughter's shoulders.

“This has been a long journey for us,” the mother said. “I know after today she won’t let anything stop her.”

The child was in school and did not attend court last Thursday, but Chief Judge Robert D. Leonard made sure she got a message from him.

“What I saw was a smart and brave little girl come in and tell a bunch of strangers what happened to her," Leonard told the child's mom. "You can tell her that her judge believed her.”

Perez received a 20-year sentence, with the first seven years to be served in prison and the balance on probation, according to the release. He will be required to comply with sex-offender conditions when he's released from prison, and may also be deported.