Life Sentence for Gwinnett Man After Sexually Assaulting, Impregnating Teen Girl

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A Gwinnett County man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting, and impregnating, a girl he began molesting when she was 7 years old.

Kenneth Blackwell, 33, was convicted Thursday in Gwinnett County Superior Court of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and statuatory rape.

Judge Laura Tate sentenced him to life in prison, plus 20 years, to be served consecutively.

According to testimony, in May of 2014, the 15 year old victim told a friend's mother that she has been touched from the age of 7 by Blackwell, her mother's longtime boyfriend.

The abuse began in Ohio and continued after the girl's family moved to Georgia. It escalated over the years, according to testimony -- to the point where she said Blackwell had performed various sex acts on her and would have intercourse with her a couple of times a week.

In 2012, when she was 13 years old, the victim got pregnant via Blackwell. Blackwell and the victim's mother brought her to an abortion clinic and the victim had an abortion, yet her mother never contacted police.

The victim chose to come forward because Blackwell said he was going to start touching her sister, who was then 7 years old.

After the victim spoke out in May 2014, prosecutors say the victim's mother was uncooperative with law enforcement and actively thwarted the investigation.

Blackwell disappeared after she spoke out, only to return several months later and get arrested.

During sentencing, Judge Tate commended the victim for coming forward to protect her younger sister.