Tonya Craft, who was found not guilty of 22 charges of child molestation in 2010 after a highly-publicized trial in Ringgold, is telling her story in a new hardcover book due out Sept. 1.
The publishers describe the book Accused as "the true story of a woman who prevailed against the most heinous accusations imaginable."
It is co-authored by Mark Dagostino and published by BenBella Books.
The publisher said, "Tonya Craft, a Georgia kindergarten teacher and loving mother of two, never expected a knock on her door to change her life forever. But in May 2008, false accusations of child molestation turned her world upside down. The trial that followed dragged her reputation through the mud and lent nationwide notoriety to her name.
"Tonya’s life spiraled into a witch-trial nightmare in which she was deemed guilty before her innocence could be determined by a jury. Her children were taken away without even a goodbye, and her own daughter was forced to take the stand against her in a courtroom. The situation seemed hopeless, and Tonya was shell-shocked and heartbroken. But that didn’t keep her from finding the strength to fight.
"Over the course of two terrifying years, Tonya rallied to take charge of her own defense, flying across the country and knocking on doors on a desperate quest for answers, and defying her own lawyers on more than one occasion. Tonya’s goal was not only to avoid conviction; it was to clear her name, and, most of all, regain custody of her children.
"Accused is about more than Tonya’s shocking trial and fight for justice. It is the story of a mother’s extraordinary love, the faith that sees her through it all, and the forgiveness that sets her free."
Reviews
“Nothing prepared me for the power of this book and its markedly human perspective of the realities of being criminally accused. Tonya reveals the strength of her own character and gives the reader a look beyond legalities and into the heart of a caring mother. Accused is a must-read, a true tour de force.”
—R. Champ Crocker, Cullman Attorney named one of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Council
“Tonya Craft found herself in an unspeakable situation that rocked her world. Through the grace of God and her tenacious spirit, today she is a trusted expert highly sought by the falsely accused and those who defend them. You will be amazed at the power of forgiveness and its impact on an impossible situation.”
—Jan Silvious, author of Foolproofing Your Life and Same Life, New Story
“Accused, the true story of a Tonya Craft’s fight against the criminal justice system, is much more than a blow by blow account of a woman facing a prosecutorial steamroller. It is also a deeper journey of the heart, and how the power of forgiveness is greater than the bitter root of false accusation.”
—Robert Whitlow, bestselling author of The Confession
"Sexual abuse of children is a serious crime, and should be dealt with fairly and carefully. Over the years attempts to bring offenders to justice have often been abusive in their own right. Cases built by so-called experts pressuring children through suggestive and leading questions, combined with overzealous prosecutions, have led to the debacles we experienced in California in the McMartin case, and in the Kern County prosecutions I reviewed when I was California Attorney General. They should have created a warning, a yellow light, to be careful when dealing with child witnesses. When those warnings are not heeded injustice can result, and the lives of the accused, when innocent, can be irreparably damaged. Tonya Craft's own story, and the jury's findings of Not Guilty on 22 counts, more than twenty years after the California cases, proves once again that when dealing with allegations of this sort, the best practices we learned the hard way need to be front and center. Will we ever learn?”
—John Van de Kamp, Former California Attorney General
The publishers said, "Tonya Craft was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by two wonderful parents. Immediately following high school, Tonya attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with the desire to become an educator. Tonya obtained her Bachelor of Science in Education and began teaching at the middle school level, but soon found her niche with elementary students. Soon, Tonya faced life as a single mother and created a personal training business and took a position as a literacy trainer with UT Chattanooga. As a single mother, she worked and went to school full-time, graduating with a Master's Degree in Education with a reading and literacy specialization. She soon began teaching kindergarten in Northern Georgia.
"In May of 2008, however, Tonya's life would change forever. Falsely accused of child molestation she lost her home, her career, her reputation, her financial stability, and most importantly, her two children. Years of struggling with the judicial system educated Tonya more than any textbook, professor, or seminar ever could. She eventually won her court case, acquitted on all 22 counts. Since then, Tonya has served as a consultant on a variety of child molestation cases. She is pursuing a law degree and is committed to helping others trapped in similar situations. She lives near Chattanooga with her two children.
"Mark Dagostino is a New York Times bestselling co-author and former Senior Writer for People Magazine. As a news reporter, Mark was on the scene when JFK Jr.'s plane went down, reported from Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11, and stood witness as survivors came ashore during the Miracle on the Hudson. Mark also cut his teeth in the courtroom, covering trials ranging from the Pamela Smart case in his home state of New Hampshire (while he was in college), to Rosie O'Donnell's $100-million lawsuit with publisher Gruner+Jahr. He also became one of the most-respected celebrity journalists in the business, scoring hundreds of personal interviews with the biggest names in Hollywood, including Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Whoopi Goldberg, Christopher Reeve, and Michael J. Fox. He now lives a somewhat quieter life in New Hampshire with his family."