Aaron Terrell Tyler, 43, was sentenced to 25 years without the possibility of parole followed by life on probation by Superior Court Judge Scott Minter on Wednesday. Judge Minter also ordered Tyler to register as a sex offender and have no contact with the three alleged victims.
Tyler pled guilty to aggravated sodomy in one case and also pled guilty to two unrelated charges in another case: false imprisonment and simple assault.
Tyler came to Whitfield County, in June 2023, under sentence from Clayton County.
He was refused by a local treatment facility for being a registered sex offender out of Minnesota. The next morning, at a local hotel, Tyler committed false imprisonment against a victim and simple assault against another.
The Dalton Police Department began the search for Tyler after receiving reports from the hotel. Hours later, Tyler arrived at the E. Walnut Avenue Walmart Supercenter, where he forced his way into a women’s restroom stall and sexually assaulted a third victim.
Both Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and DPD responded to the incident, where Tyler was taken into
custody.
The state’s case was presented by District Attorney Benjamin Kenemer. Kenemer applauded the
victims’ courage for telling their story.
“All three ladies expressed the desire to see Tyler plead guilty and avoid a trial where they would have to testify,” said DA Kenemer. “Each victim was given the plea recommendation that Judge Minter accepted and all three asked that he be sentenced as such.”
The WCSO’s case was led by Detective Chris Hicks and the DPD case was led by Detective
Chris Tucker. DA Kenemer expressed thanks for a swift response to the dangerous situation, “Local
law enforcement began efforts right away to find Tyler, and their cooperation certainly helped in
making sure that each of the three cases was brought to a just resolution.”