A 71-year-old Douglas County man was convicted of child molestation this week, authorities said.
Leon Alfred Williams of Douglasville was found guilty by a Douglas County jury on one count of child molestation after a three-day trial, the district attorney’s office announced Friday. He will be sentenced in a hearing May 9 and faces up to 20 years in prison.
According to the DA, the case was based on allegations brought against Williams in April 2018, when a preschool-aged girl became upset about spending time with the 71-year-old. The girl’s mother questioned her, listing several people and asking if any of those people had ever touched or abused her. When the mother mentioned Williams, the girl said he had abused her at his home during earlier visits there.
After the girl’s explanation, her mother took her to an Atlanta-area hospital and called the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to report the abuse, the DA’s office said.
Investigators interviewed the girl, who shared more details about the abuse “through great distress,” the DA’s office said. Detectives also interviewed other witnesses and searched Williams’ home. As a result of the investigation, Williams was arrested and indicted on multiple counts related to the abuse.
The case was delayed for multiple factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and Williams was released on bond while the case was pending, the DA’s office said.
Williams was booked back into the Douglas County Jail on Thursday after he was convicted, jail records show.
In a statement, Douglas DA Dalia Racine praised the girl for her courage in reporting Williams’ abuse and enduring the lengthy investigation.
“It is tragic that anyone would abuse a child but, unfortunately, it is all too common,” Racine said. “However, when this abuse does happen, we, along with our partners in law enforcement, will spare no expense and no amount of energy to fight to ensure that the perpetrator is held accountable. The real hero in this case is the child who bravely told her mom and authorities what happened and confronted her abuser in court. Because of her courage, this man will not be able to harm another child.”
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