LANORRIS DODSON SENTENCED TO LIFE WITH A MINIMUM 25 YEARS IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE ELIGIBILITY FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF A TEENAGE FEMALE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2024

On February 26, 2024, Lanorris Dodson, 38, pleaded guilty to Incest, Rape, and three counts of Aggravated
Child Molestation for sexually abusing a 15-year-old female. Superior Court Judge John Simpson accepted
the plea agreement negotiated by the State and sentenced Dodson to a Life sentence, with 25 years to serve
in prison before he is eligible for parole.

Assistant District Attorney Jared Parrish and DA Investigator Sonia Green prosecuted the case. Newnan
Police Department Detective Joseph Castro led the investigation, which revealed the following:

In June 2021, Dodson’s daughter and step-daughter reported Dodson’s sexual abuse to law enforcement.
Dodson’s step-daughter informed law enforcement that beginning in 2016, the Defendant began raping
her and at the age of 15 she became pregnant. In 2017, the Defendant’s step-daughter gave birth to his
child. Threats from the Defendant convinced his step-daughter to remain silent regarding the abuse she
continued to endure. However, in June of 2021, the Defendant’s biological daughter disclosed to her older
step-sister that Defendant had been subjecting her to sexual abuse. The younger sister’s disclosure of
sexual abuse prompted both children to seek the intervention of law enforcement.

Newnan Police Department investigated the allegations and interviewed the Defendant, who denied any
acts of sexual abuse. Law enforcement obtained DNA samples of the Defendant, his step-daughter, and his
son and provided them to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for analysis, which confirmed that the
Defendant’s step-daughter had given birth to his child in 2017.

This case serves an example of how the diligent work of law enforcement, combined the bravery of
victimized children can bring a sexual predator to justice. I am thankful that the victims did not have to go
through a traumatizing trial in order for justice to be done, and I hope that this Defendant will remain
incarcerated for the remainder of his life.

JOHN HERBERT CRANFORD, JR.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
COWETA JUDICIAL CIRCUIT