DALTON, Ga. — A Dalton man was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by eight years on probation after pleading guilty to aggravated assault, simple battery, sexual battery, cruelty to children in the first degree and reckless conduct in Whitfield County Superior Court on Friday, according to District Attorney Bert Poston.
A rape charge was dismissed against Abel Lee Rodriguez, according to Poston.
Rodriguez will also have to pay a $3,000 fine as well as court costs and surcharges, perform 300 hours of community service, pay $1,700 in restitution to the Georgia Crime Victims Fund, abide by sex offender conditions and have no contact with the victim.
According to an indictment, on or about Aug. 12, 2016, Rodriguez “did commit an act which placed another … in reasonable apprehension of immediately receiving a violent injury … by holding her down and threatening to harm her …” The indictment describes the female as under 18.
In a separate case, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to possession of meth and was sentenced to serve three years concurrent with the other sentence. Charges of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, possession of drug-related objects, misdemeanor obstruction of officers and receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm by a convicted felon were dropped.