CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A man has been sentenced in Cherokee County after being convicted of sex crimes against a child.

Antonio Eliberto Lopez, a 50-year-old from Canton, was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of one count of rape, two counts of sex trafficking and one count of child molestation.

According to court documents, the charges come from a Canton police investigation in April 2024, after a 12-year-old girl spoke out about sexual abuse.

The child told police the abuse happened over a five-month period, saying that Lopez was “initially nice to her, visiting her when her father was working and bringing gifts,” before escalating to inappropriate touching leading to rape.

Assistant District Attorney Leyna P. Pope, the prosecutor ov

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