A DeKalb County man who was known in his neighborhood for building a roller coaster for kids at his apartment complex pleaded guilty to three counts of rape Friday and was sentenced to life in prison.
Dectavious Thomas Moore, 41, of Lithonia, was initially indicted on more than 50 counts related to child sexual abuse, including rape, aggravated sexual battery, child molestation and child sexual exploitation, spokeswoman Claire Chaffins of the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office said.
Moore’s life sentence included an additional 20 years, though he retains the possibility of parole, according to Chaffins. If granted parole, he would remain on probation for the rest of his life and be required to register as a sex offender.
As they developed their case against Moore, investigators learned that he used a variety of tactics to spend time around children, according to the DA’s office. His victims ranged from 9 to 13 years old, and the assaults took place from July 2017 until May 2018, when Moore was arrested.
“Defendant Moore often took children to drive go-karts or do other activities and always had kids at his home,” Chaffins said.
The investigation began in Newton County when he sent illicit messages and photos to one of the victims and said he was on his way to pick her up for sex, the DA’s office said. An adult saw the messages and told the child’s father, who called 911. Sheriff’s deputies arrested Moore when he pulled up to the victim’s home.
After he was arrested, detectives found more than 1,000 child sexual abuse images and videos on Moore’s phone. He forced the victims to engage in sexual acts with him as well as each other, the DA’s office said.
Moore has been in jail since his arrest in May 2018, jail records show. His requests for bond were denied three times as his case worked its way through the courts.
Under Georgia law, Moore will be considered for parole after serving 30 years of his sentence.
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