A Georgia man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the repetitive sexual exploitation of a disabled family member.
Canton resident Troy Hickman, 59, has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery and two counts of exploitation and intimidation of a disabled adult. In May, he pleaded guilty to the offenses.
According to the report, Hickman was arrested after an intellectually disabled woman he abused for years, beginning when she was 18 years old, told a friend about the abuse last year. The friend then notified the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office about Hickman.
Sheriffs discovered that during the years he abused the victim, Hickman, the victim spent a great deal of time alone, according to the report, and the victim provided specific details about the sexual acts to Anna Crawford Children’s Center investigators.
“Victims of sexual assault are frequently hesitant to come forward, as was the case here. The victim is intellectually disabled, and the defendant repeatedly threatened her with bodily injury in an effort to prevent her from reporting the abuse. Assistant District Attorney Elliot Stone of the Domestic Violence Unit stated in a statement that she courageously overcame her anxiety by seeking assistance.
Stone reported that Hickman confessed to his offenses but blamed alcohol for his behavior and “even suggested the victim was partly to blame.”
Hickman was sentenced to twenty years in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by lifelong probation.
It is prohibited for him to have contact with the victim and her family, and he must endure a psychosexual evaluation, receive substance abuse treatment, and adhere to sex offender special conditions.
District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said in a statement, “The victim viewed the defendant as a father figure, and it is despicable that he would exploit her trust and vulnerability for his own sexual desires.” Our hope is that the victim and her family will find peace and healing in the knowledge that the defendant has been punished for his offenses and will never be able to harm another person in this manner again.
