CRAWFORD COUNTY, GA — Last night, a Crawford County jury found Joseph Bohannon, 49, guilty on two counts of Child Molestation and one count of Sexual Battery Against a Child Under 16. Between April 2015 and April 2017, Bohannon and his wife provided childcare for the 12-year-old daughter of Bohannon’s friend, a single father who worked as a truck driver.
The young girl rode the school bus to and from the Bohannon home each day while her father was away for work.
During this period, Bohannon systematically groomed the child through conversations which led to repeated acts of sexual abuse. The victim stopped going to the Bohannon’s home after turning 13 years old. Even after the abuse ended, Bohannon continued to contact the victim via social media. Messages admitted at trial showed Bohannon pressuring the victim to allow him to photograph her alone in her cheerleading uniform and a swimsuit. When she insisted her father be present, Bohannon became frustrated and continued to pressure her.
Forensic analysis of Bohannon’s phone revealed child-oriented pornographic content and a video of the victim. Both the victim and her father testified in court. The impact of the evidence was evident: 10 of the 14 jurors were so moved that they remained in the courtroom to hear the sentencing.
The maximum sentence available under law was 45 years. The state recommended the maximum sentence, 45 serve 44. The defense asked the Court for a prison sentence of 10-15 years. Unexpectedly, the Court only sentenced Bohannon to 20 years, with the first seven years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections.
“This child waited years for justice,” said District Attorney Anita Howard. “The jury delivered. The sentence fell short. Children deserve better, and this Office will never stop fighting for them.”
The verdict followed a trial prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Taylor Wilson on behalf of the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.