Photo courtesy Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office / Carlos FenelliA 38-year-old Dalton man was recently convicted for the attempted molestation of four female minor co-workers while employed as a security guard at Rossville's Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park.
Carlos Fenelli was sentenced to a total of 15 years, with the first four years to be served in prison. After his release, he will be required to register annually as a sex offender, according to a written news release from the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.
"The brave actions of these victims to come forward enabled us to stop this offender before he was able to do any greater harm to these or other girls." wrote District Attorney Chris Arnt in the release. Judge Ralph Van Pelt handed down the sentence on March 10.
The allegations came to light after one of the victims reported Fenelli's inappropriate touching and comments, the release said. He was immediately fired. Further investigation by the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office found three more victims. During forensic interviews at the Children's Advocacy Center, the victims said they were inappropriately touched by Fenelli.
In an interview following his arrest, the release stated that Fenelli admitted to being sexually attracted to several of the victims and having inappropriate conversations with them.
According to Arnt, the parents of one of the victims, "thanked the District Attorney's Office for everything we did and appreciated our team's efforts to support them and their families."
- Compiled by Andrew Wilkins