A Cherokee County jury took 90 minutes to convict a 50-year-old Canton man who spent five months grooming a pre-teen girl before raping her.

⚖️ Why It Matters: Antonio Eliberto Lopez-Peren used a textbook predator playbook — gifts, food, and kindness — to gain access to a child while her father worked. The case shows how abusers exploit trust and isolation to commit crimes that often go unreported for months or years.

🔍 What Happened: The child told a friend about the abuse in April 2024, which triggered a Canton Police investigation. At the Anna Crawford Children’s Center, she described how Lopez-Peren would visit when her father was away, bringing presents and meals before the touching began. The abuse escalated to rape.

The five-day trial ended October 3 with guilty verdicts on al

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