Jeffery Daniel Locklear, 37, formerly of 623 McCharles St. in Dalton, was convicted Wednesday by a Whitfield County jury for the offenses of rape, aggravated child molestation, child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, sexual battery and incest.
The jury was selected on Monday and the trial began on Tuesday with Superior Court Judge William T. Boyett presiding. Assistant District Attorney Keely Parker prosecuted the case along with Assistant District Attorney Bryan Rayburn. Locklear was represented by Dalton attorney Jerry Moncus. The jury of six men and six women deliberated for approximately an hour before returning its unanimous verdict in mid-afternoon Wednesday.
The evidence showed Locklear committed sexual acts against a 10-year-old child and blood relative over a period of several months beginning in January of 2015. Detective Ronnie Morris of the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the case in May of 2015 after the child disclosed the abuse to a school counselor.
After an investigation, an indictment was returned by the Whitfield County Grand Jury in October 2015. Detective Morris, the school counselor and a Department of Children and Family Services case investigator all testified. During the trial, the jury viewed a video of an interview of the victim conducted by Melissa Wells, a trained child forensic interviewer. The interview was conducted at the Green House Child Advocacy Center in Dalton. In the interview, the victim detailed the multiple acts committed against her. Additionally, the jury heard from a sexual assault nurse examiner, who testified that she could not rule out sexual assault after examining the victim. The child victim also testified. Locklear did not testify on his own behalf nor did he call any witnesses.
Prosecutors said, "Sexual assaults against children are always difficult to prosecute. As is often the case, there were no witnesses other than the child victim nor was there any definitive medical or other physical evidence. Detective Morris conducted a solid investigation with assistance from other agencies and that allowed us to present a compelling case to the jury. Ultimately though, child predators are only held accountable when the jurors chose to believe the child victim. We are grateful to the jurors in this case who clearly took their responsibility seriously and held the defendant accountable for his crimes."
Locklear has been in custody at the Whitfield County Jail since his arrest in November of 2015, and will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has been scheduled before Judge Boyett on Friday, March 11. Locklear faces life sentences for rape, aggravated child molestation, and aggravated sexual battery with a minimum of 25 years to be served without parole and the possibility of life without parole on the rape. On the other charges, the maximum sentences are 20 years on child molestation, 50 years on incest, and five years on sexual battery.