DALLAS, GA — A Douglasville man has been sentenced to life after Paulding County prosecutors on Tuesday said he sexually assaulted his girlfriend's 10-month-old daughter.
The Paulding County District Attorney's Office said Jesse James Hawkins, 22, recently entered a negotiated plea deal with prosecutors.
The incident occurred around March 25, 2025. The infant's mother had taken her to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, where she was treated, prosecutors said.
During the investigation, prosecutors said authorities determined Hawkins sexually assaulted the child with an unknown object and arrested him.
Ultimately, prosecutors said Hawkins pled guilty to aggravated sexual battery, aggravated battery, first-degree cruelty to children and second-degree cruelty to children.
He was sentenced to life, with the first 25 years to be served in prison, after Judge Matthew Rollins accepted the plea Friday, prosecutors said. Additionally, he must adhere to all requirements for the special supervision of a sex offender.
Per state law, Hawkins must serve every day of the prison sentence, prosecutors said.
"Our office is committed to protecting children and holding predators accountable," Paulding County District Attorney Robert S. Lane said in a news release published Tuesday. "We will continue to execute the mission of our office: to seek truth, do justice and protect the most vulnerable among us. While no sentence can undo the harm suffered by this child, today's sentence ensures that the defendant will spend decades behind bars for his actions."
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