Marietta Man Convicted of Assaulting 4-Year-Old Girl

MARIETTA, GA -- A Marietta man will spend 25 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old young girl in 2014.

Jon Gregory Craton, 47, was found guilty Wednesday of assaulting the girl as she sat on his lap at a residence on Clay Drive.

Prosecutors say the girl exhibited a drastic change in behavior after the incident, including nightmares and fear of being alone in her own bed. She eventually told her godmother what happened and that the defendant warned her she would be in trouble if she told anyone.

The girl’s parents notified police, and after examinations and counseling, a doctor diagnosed the child as having post-traumatic stress disorder from the assault.

On the witness stand this week, the girl, now 6, recounted what happened to her, and she expressed fear of the defendant.

“Because of this defendant’s selfish act, this victim has been robbed of the young, precious years that every child deserves,” said ADA Susan Treadaway, who prosecuted the case. “The defendant has sentenced this little girl to a lifetime of emotional pain.”

Immediately after the verdict, Cobb Superior Court Judge Adele Grubbs sentenced Craton to serve 25 years in prison, during which time he will not be eligible for parole. Once he is released, he will be on probation for life and will be subject to sex-offender conditions and monitoring.

Jurors acquitted Craton of one count of child molestation.