A Gainesville man will serve at least 25 years in prison after being sentenced for the molestation and sexual battery of a child in Hall County.
Alejandro Martinez-Arias, 41, of Gainesville was convicted of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and child molestation.
Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh said in a press release Friday that Martinez-Arias received a life sentence with 25 years to serve behind bars for both the aggravated child molestation charge and the aggravated sexual battery charge. He also faces 20 years to serve for child molestation. Sex offender conditions apply to all of the convictions and all sentences will be served concurrently.
Darragh said in the release that Martinez-Arias abused the victim, who was nine when it started, after she moved in with him and one of her family members. Martinez-Arias was in a relationship with the family member. The abuse happened at night and continued until the victim confided in her older brother when she was 12.
Her brother contacted their grandmother, who lived in Illinois. She drove all night to get the children, who left the home and hitched north. The grandmother met them on the side of the road and drove them back to Gainesville to make a police report.
Darragh said Judge Fuller handed down the verdict after a jury trial Friday. The case was tried by Assistant DA Anna Fowler.
Wednesday
October 16th, 2024
9:39PM
