Canton Man Convicted Of Aggravated Child Molestation

CANTON, GA — A man from Canton has been sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of multiple charges, including child molestation.

Cherokee County Chief Superior Court Judge Ellen McElyea on Feb. 4 sentenced Canton resident Juan Raymundo-Lopez, 37, to life in prison. Following a three-day trial, a Cherokee County jury found Raymundo-Lopez guilty on Dec. 6, 2021, on all counts, including rape, incest, child molestation, sexual battery, and battery family violence.

Cherokee Sheriff’s Office arrested Raymundo-Lopez on Aug. 13, 2019, after two 911 correspondences came from his home over the course of two weeks.

On Aug. 13, 2019, emergency dispatch received a 911 text from a child in the home saying the defendant physically and sexually abused her. When deputies arrived at the Canton house, the child spoke to law enforcement, but denied the allegations and said she had not sent the texts. At trial, it was revealed she did not disclose to law enforcement because she wanted to protect her older brother, who was present when law enforcement arrived.

On Aug. 26, 2019, dispatch received a 911 call from the same address. A teenager in the home said Raymundo-Lopez was intoxicated and tried to climb into bed with her. When she told him to get out, he punched her in the face and ran into the woods, where he was later arrested by deputies.

Detectives determined that the 911 text had been sent by a different child in the home, and that Raymundo-Lopez had been physically and sexually abusing two girls who are related to him. Raymundo-Lopez threatened further violence if they did not yield to his will.

“These children were terrified of this defendant," said Assistant District Attorney Leyna Pope, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the state. "They knew what was happening to them, both the physical and sexual abuse, was wrong, but felt powerless to stop it. As our expert in the field of child abuse testified, sometimes it is too difficult for children to say out loud what is happening to them. The ability of the Cherokee County 911 system to receive text messages is a real lifeline for our children in distress and, in this case, provided a means for one child to finally reach out for help.”

During the trial, the state called eight witnesses to the stand, including the two victims. After deliberating for about an hour, the jury issued its guilty verdict, finding Raymundo-Lopez guilty on all charges.

“This defendant manipulated these children to ensure they kept silent and threatened further violence if they told anyone what was going on in their home," District Attorney Shannon Wallace. said. "I am in awe of their bravery for finally reaching out to law enforcement to report the abuse. With this verdict and sentencing, these young victims will no longer have to live in fear of this man.”

The case was investigated by Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Leyna Pope of the Special Victims Unit, Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office. The Anna Crawford Children’s Center conducted forensic interviews of the children.