CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia man will spend the next 50 years behind bars following a rape conviction, the district attorney's office announced Monday.
A Cherokee County jury found Juan Nazario Lopez, 53, guilty of rape, incest, aggravated child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes after a four-day trial last month. On Wednesday, Judge Ellen McElyea sentenced Lopez to 50 years, followed by life on probation.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office began investigating in April 2023 after a woman reported that her niece was molested by a family member. Several people were interviewed during the case. It later led to Lopez facing charges.
“The day the victim in this case had the courage to disclose these crimes to her aunt, she took the first steps in taking back her life and stopping the abuse from continuing,” said Assistant District Attorney Meaghan Frankish, of the Special Victims Unit.
Prosecutors introduced text messages by the victim during a plea hearing that showed how Lopez's abuse impacted her mental health as well, the DA's office said.
“This young victim suffered immeasurable harm at the hands of a family member. Her courage in disclosing this abuse helped her to rise above this trauma,” District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said. “Children suffer mental health consequences when they keep dark secrets out of fear of shame or disbelief. We are thankful that this little girl could rely on her aunt to help her when she needed her the most and that a Cherokee County teacher also played a role in supporting her through this trauma.”
In addition to his time behind bars, Lopez must register as a sex offender, abide by sex offender special conditions of probation, and have no contact of any kind with the victim.
