Police: Two arrested, charged with child molestation in N. Fulton

Michael K. Lipford and Jessica V. Neal are being held without bail on charges of child molestation.

Michael K. Lipford and Jessica V. Neal are being held without bail on charges of child molestation.

Police in Sandy Springs have arrested a Cumming man and a Sugar Hill woman and charged them with child molestation.

Michael K. Lipford and Jessica V. Neal were arrested on June 22 for an incident that occurred on April 3, where police say they committed a “lewd act” in front of a child. Child molestation is a felony charge.

Lipford, 27, and Neal, 26, are being held without bond in a Fulton County jail, records show.

Sandy Springs’ detectives began investigating claims of child molestation at Neal and Lipford’s Sandy Springs home on Treelodge Parkway on April 11, according to a police report.

A day later, Lipford called Sandy Springs police after a physical altercation with Neal. He told police that Neal thought he had cheated on her, and that she bruised him and bit him before leaving the scene. Lipford did not want to press charges, according to a police report.

Officials  have not released additional information in the case.

This wasn’t the first time Sandy Springs police responded to their home.

Neal was arrested for simple battery and taken to a jail in Alpharetta on Sept. 12, 2016 after she called Sandy Springs police and reported Lipford had locked her and their three-month-old daughter out of their apartment, a police report showed. At that time, Lipford told police that Neal broke the bedroom door in their apartment and started hitting and scratching him. Police saw scratches on Lipton, some of which were bleeding.

Lipford also told police that he was thinking about harming himself that day, according to the report. Neal told police Lipford had held a knife to his neck and threw a can at her. After this incident, the police report states, Lipford and Neal’s child was turned over to Neal’s mother.

Neal’s attorney, Meaghan Eustice, said she was unable to comment on the current case, charges or her client at this time. Lipford is being represented by a public defender.

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