A thirty-four-year-old Chattooga County man was found guilty of child molestation this past week after a trial in Chattooga County Superior Court.

Johnathan Culberson was found guilty of molesting an eleven-year-old girl in September of 2020.  The incident took place at a house in the Trion area around 3:30 AM.  According to court records, Culberson inappropriately touched the child before molesting the girl.  When law enforcement was alerted about the incident, Culberson evaded arrest by fleeing from the area.  WZQZ News reported at the time that Culberson had possibly taken a weapon from the home before fleeing from sheriff’s deputies.  Trion Schools went on a “soft lockdown” while a manhunt was conducted in the area.

Culberson was subsequently apprehended in Cherokee County, Alabama and was handed over to Chattooga County authorities.

Culberson was found guilty on child molestation charges and was sentenced to 25 years with 10 years to serve.  He was being held in the Chattooga County Jail as of Friday morning awaiting transport to a Georgia Department of Corrections prison.