HOSCHTON, Ga. — It only took a Gwinnett County jury an hour to convict Anthony Seitz of raping a 9-year-old relative.
Seitz was accused in 2017 of inappropriately touching the daughter of a close family member while she away. An investigation suggested it happened more than once.
The search for answers and justice began in October 2017 when a family friend found the 30-year-old defendant in the bedroom with the child. The circumstances of the situation suggested that something had happened.
The friend had been asked by the child's mother to make sure she got to the school bus that day and went to check on them when, according to the district attorney's office, she began wondering what was taking so long.
"The victim complained that her stomach hurt and that she didn't want to go to school," prosecutors said in a recent statement. "The family friend noted that [Seitz] appeared to be extremely nervous when she entered the room and appeared not to want to let her question the victim about what was going on in the room."
RELATED: Convicted rapist already in prison linked to Spelman case after rape kit sat untouched for 15+ years
Officials say that the friend ultimately got the child dressed and on the bus, but then notified the police and the mother. That's when the mother allegedly revealed that she had seen the suspect naked in bed with both of her children in recent months and suspected abuse.
The mother said she was previously locked out of the house and went around to the bedroom window where she allegedly saw Seitz quickly putting on underwear and pants.
He eventually made it to the door and claimed that he had tripped which is why it took him a long time to get to the door. According to statements received by the district attorney's office, the mother questioned the child about whether Seitz had touched her inappropriately. At the time, the child denied this.
Following the family friend's report to police, authorities said the mother asked again and "the victim didn't give a strong denial" but said that she wanted to "get [Seitz] some help."
She eventually opened up about the sexual assault and, according to the district attorney's office, Seitz was confronted with the claims - ones he vehemently denied saying, "How do you know, have you taken her to the doctor?"
The mother allegedly then kicked Seitz out of the home.
Gwinnett County Police Department's Special Victims Unit Detective Samantha Flynn investigated the case and interviewed the child who was able to articulate that she had been sexually assaulted five different times while the mother was away. She said that it would happen when her mom left to get cigarettes.
The victim told Flynn that she was told not to tell anyone - especially her mother.
"During the interview, the victim expressed that she didn't want to talk about the abuse because she didn't want anyone to hurt [Seitz] or for him to get in trouble," the district attorney's office report said.
A sexual assault examination revealed that the child had been raped three months prior.
Seitz denied the allegations again following his Nov. 3, 2017 arrest claiming that when the child once got too close to his lap, he told her that she "couldn't do that because she was his relative and that she was under 18."
He added that he was allegedly kicked out without explanation on Oct. 30 of that year.
The district attorney's office said that a "false belief" defense fell through when the case went to trial this week. The theory suggests that children subjected to repeated and suggestive questioning develop memories of events that didn't occur. However, the defense's expert witness said she was allegedly resistant to suggestibility due to her intelligence.
According to prosecutors, Seitz was caught in "multiple lies" about the incident that spurred the investigation when cross-examined.
"The Defendant also conceded that the victim does not lie and couldn't explain what motive she had to make this up about him because he had been the only consistent father-figure in her life," the district attorney's office said.
The office added that evidence also came out in the case suggesting both Seitz and the child's mother were methamphetamine users.
In their press release, the district attorney's office said that Superior Court Judge Mason "noted that the facts of this case were the most disturbing of any case she had presided over thus far" but also added that she was "impressed with the victim's resiliency" and "hoped her sentence would give her closure and allow her to move on."
Seitz was ultimately sentenced to life with 35 years in prison to be served without the possibility of parole. After his release, Seitz will spend the rest of his life on probation and will not be allowed any contact with the victim.
MORE HEADLINES
