Dakota Choate
Superior Court Judge Scott Minter on Thursday sentenced Dakota Lee Choate to life in prison. Choate, 22, of Crandall, Ga., will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years in confinement.
Last month, a Murray County jury of six men and six women convicted him of one count of rape.
The rape occurred in November of 2018 when Choate drove the to a secluded area of his choosing where he then assaulted her.
The woman, who previously knew Choate, reported the rape at Murray Medical Center where she went to receive treatment for injuries received during the assault, including a bite and scratches. Detective Eric White spoke to her at the hospital and then traveled to the location she described and took photographs.
Choate was arrested a few days later and interviewed by Detective White. Choate admitted to having sexual relations with the victim, but claimed it was consensual. He testified at trial raising the same defense and presented other witnesses and evidence.
In addition to the victim, two other women testified for the state concerning prior sexual assaults committed against them by Choate. One had been reported to law enforcement in 2016 but no arrested was made. The other had never been reported previously, but the victim came forward after she saw media accounts of Choate’s arrest in 2018.
The state’s case was presented by Assistant District Attorney Ben Kenemer. Choate was represented by Cat Pyne and Micah Gates of the Public Defender’s Office, who had filed a speedy trial demand on Choate’s behalf last summer.