Edgar Charles NeelyA Rossville, Georgia, man was sentenced last week to life in prison plus 20 years for the sexual molestation of a friend's child.
Edgar Charles Neely, 41, had known the victim for many years and established a relationship with the child through gifts and attention -- a process the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office called "grooming" in a new release.
The Lookout Mountain Judicial District includes Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade and Walker counties.
After a three-day trial, Neeley was convicted by a Walker County jury on charges of aggravated child molestation and two counts of child molestation. Testimony against the defendant was given by the victim, members of the victim's family, a friend of the victim, a church leader and Neely's ex-wife.
(READ MORE: Ringgold, Georgia, man convicted of molesting two girls for years)
"This case is another example of how we prioritize the prosecution of those that abuse and harm our children," District Attorney Chris Arnt said in the release. "My office takes a firm stand against child sexual abuse. We are pleased that this child molester will be behind bars and not able to harm any other children."
The trial showed that Neely was a long-time friend of the victim's mother.
Shortly before the victim turned 15, Neely began giving the victim an unusual amount of attention, according to the release. Neely also began calling himself the victim's godfather, attending church with the victim's family and having the victim spend weekends at his home.
(READ MORE: Two Northwest Georgia men sentenced for child molestation)
"This process of establishing closeness and giving a child gifts, time and attention is known as 'grooming' and is a common tactic used by child molesters to gain access to their victims," the news release stated.
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @tweetatwilkins.