Canton Man Sentenced To Life For Sexual Battery, Burglary

CANTON, GA — A Cherokee County man was found guilty of aggravated sexual battery and burglary after he went into a neighbor's home and sexually assaulted her while she slept.

On June 26, a Cherokee County jury found David Emanuel Urbay, Jr., 35, guilty on one count of aggravated sexual battery and one count of burglary. Senior Judge Frank C. Mills III sentenced the defendant on June 28.

The charges stemmed from a January 2017 incident when the defendant entered a female neighbor’s home without authority then went into the woman’s bedroom, where he sexually assaulted her while she was sleeping.

“A person’s home should be a safe place, where you can feel secure from the evils of the outside world. Within your home, nothing is more sacred than the peace and serenity of your own bedroom. But all of that has been shattered for the victim of this crime,” said Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Holly Varner, who prosecuted the case for the State. “The victim will have to live with the memory of this assault for the rest of her life.”

Mills sentenced Urbay to a life sentence without parole for aggravated sexual battery and 20 years to serve concurrently for burglary in the first degree.

“The woman showed great courage by immediately calling 911 after this incident to report the assault,” said District Attorney Shannon Wallace. “We are pleased the Cherokee County jury found this repeat offender guilty and that justice was served for this courageous victim."