West Georgia Times
PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A Paulding County jury on Feb. 27 found Jason C. Sisson, 44, guilty of multiple felony charges including rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery and first-degree cruelty to children after a four-day trial, according to the Paulding Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
Sisson, a resident of Cartersville in nearby Bartow County, was convicted of sexually assaulting a minor following testimony and evidence presented during the trial. The jury required about 15 minutes of deliberation before returning the guilty verdicts, prosecutors said.
The case originated in 2018 when the Euharlee Police Department began investigating after a victim reported the sexual assault. The prosecution was later transferred to the Paulding Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office from the Cherokee Judicial Circuit due to a conflict in 2024.
“These crimes rob victims — especially children — of their innocence and their sense of safety,” District Attorney Robert S. Lane said in a statement following the verdict. “Our office was proud to assist in securing this conviction and ensuring that another predator is removed from our community.”
Under Georgia law, convictions for rape and aggravated sodomy carry the possibility of life imprisonment, with mandatory minimum sentences depending on the circumstances and ages involved. Aggravated sexual battery and first-degree cruelty to children also carry significant prison terms. Sisson’s defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sisson remains in custody ahead of a scheduled sentencing hearing March 17 before Superior Court Judge Scott Smith. The judge will determine the specific penalties, which could include decades in prison depending on sentencing guidelines and any legal factors raised at the hearing.
Following sentencing, Sisson may pursue appeals through Georgia’s appellate courts. However, the Feb. 27 verdict marks the conclusion of the trial phase in a case that has spanned nearly eight years since the initial investigation began.
