Andre Laurens Crane hid an audio recorder in his home in an effort to catch his now ex-wife cheating on him. But it instead caught him molesting his stepdaughter.
Crane was convicted Thursday of molesting the girl, now 15, and sentenced to life in prison, plus 10 years, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said.
Evidence at Crane’s trial revealed he began molesting the girl when she was 11 years old, according to Dan W. Mayfield, chief assistant district attorney. One of the molestation incidents was captured on an audio recorder, Mayfield said.
“After the recording was discovered, the defendant barricaded himself inside his home in Hall County and attempted to commit suicide,” Mayfield said in an emailed statement. “He was later questioned by police, but denied molesting his stepdaughter.”
The victim testified against Crane during the trial, Mayfield said. The jury deliberated about an hour before returning a guilty verdict on six counts.
Charges against Crane are pending in Hall County.
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