Christopher Aaron High
A Chattanooga man will be on probation for one year after he pled guilty to unlawful sexual contact with a minor. Christopher Aaron High, 24, was originally charged with statutory rape in February 2019.
“He exposed my little girl to alcohol and drugs, something she was never exposed to at home,” said the victim’s mother, “She was deflowered by the defendant. He took her innocence away, not for love, but just so he could have another notch on his belt. He preyed on her innocence."
Aside from one year of supervised probation, High will also pay a $1,000 fine and will be forbidden from contacting the victim or her family in any way.
Prosecutor Colin Campbell told the court that, should the case have gone to trial, the state would have shown the jury social media posts that would have corroborated accounts of a sexual relationship between High and the victim.
“My hope is that this experience for him will save another family from having to endure the pain and suffering that he has caused mine,” said the mother.
One of the requirements for the plea to be acceptable for the victim’s family was the permanence of the conviction. Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz assured the family that the conviction was not expungable. However, High will not have to register with the National Sex Offender Registry.