CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A jury has found a Ball Ground man guilty of multiple charges of child molestation and sexual battery.

Prosecutors say 37-year-old Zachary Allan Maltman's victim was under the age of 16.

What we know:

Officials say the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office began an investigation into Maltman in September 2022, when the victim's mother went to police to say he had sexually abused her child.

While speaking to investigators, the girl said that Maltman had been abusing her for around a year.

During the trial, the victim, her mother, investigators, and experts on sexual assault nursing exams and forensic interviewing testified on behalf of the state. Evidence presented to the jury included text messages between Maltman and a family member about the situation.

After del

See Full Page