A convicted child molester has been sentenced to 20 years after being found guilty last week by a Rabun County Jury. Judge Chan Caudell handed down the sentence Tuesday against 42-year old Michael Douglas Abernathy of Clayton.
He was arrested in April 2017 and charged with two counts of child molestation and one count of enticing a child for indecent purposes.
His criminal jury trial began June 4, 2018. After three days of testimony, jurors found Abernathy guilty on all counts, according to the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
The molestation charges were legally merged for sentencing. Judge Caudell sentenced Abernathy to 20 years with 15 years to serve in state prison and 5 years probation. He sentenced him the same for enticement. The sentences will run concurrently.
In addition, Abernathy will be required to register as a sex offender.
Assistant District Attorney Anthony Pickett and Chief Assistant District Attorney Richard Bridgeman prosecuted the case against Abernathy.
