A Henry County judge sentenced a Stockbridge man Thursday to 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage family member.

Superior Court Judge Brian J. Amero sentenced John Henry Jackson Jr. on charges of incest and aggravated sodomy. Following the 25 years, Jackson will spend the rest of his life on probation. He also must register as a sex offender.

A Henry County jury found Jackson, 38, forced the family member to perform oral sex on him numerous times from 2013 to 2015. The acts occurred at two different locations in Stockbridge.

"This man preyed upon this child for years," Henry County District Attorney Darius Pattillo said. "We are committed to keeping our children safe. This verdict shows our community will not tolerate this type of abuse."

The conviction comes just two weeks after Pattillo launched a new unit that focuses on crimes against women and children. The unit prosecutes serious domestic violence cases, aggravated child molestation and child cruelty cases.

“We have heard concerns from the community about how child abuse cases were previously handled. My administration promised to address this,” Pattillo said at the time he introduced the unit. “That is why it is so important to me that we bring this new initiative. We want the community to know that we hear their concerns and are bringing the best resources to Henry County.”

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