On August 8, 2024, a Carroll County jury found John Earl Mack, 43, guilty of two counts of aggravated child molestation, rape, and enticing a child for indecent purposes. Superior Court Judge Dustin Hightower presided over the trial and sentenced Mack to life without the possibility of parole plus an additional 30 years. Previously, Mack had been convicted of rape in the second degree in New York in 2002.
Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Lara Todd and DA Investigator Becky Byrd prosecuted the case. Detective Chris Bertera of the Villa Rica Police Department led the investigation. The evidence presented revealed that on September 18, 2022, a fifteen-year-old female reported to the Villa Rica Police Department that Mack had sexually assaulted her multiple times between May 1 and May 12, 2022. The crime was discovered when the victim’s mother overheard Mack making sexually explicit comments to her daughter and requesting oral sex.
Initially denying any inappropriate interaction with Mack when confronted by her mother, the victim later confirmed his actions. After reporting to authorities, she was forensically interviewed at the Carroll County Advocacy Center (CCAC), where she disclosed that Mack had engaged in multiple sexual acts with her at an abandoned home in Villa Rica and a residence in Fulton County. Additionally, she stated that he provided drugs for her to smoke at one location.
The District Attorney’s Office acknowledged this case as an example of effective collaboration within the criminal justice system to protect children and communities from sexual predators. “The District Attorney’s Office appreciates the work of Det. Bertera, the Child Advocacy Center, and everyone who participated in the jury trial that resulted in this Defendant’s conviction and life without parole sentence,” read their statement. They reiterated their commitment to seeking substantial prison sentences for those who prey on children.
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