CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Cherokee County man will spend years behind bars pleading guilty to the brutal assault, rape and kidnapping of a woman who came to his apartment to provide a cleaning service.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit announced that Ezekiel Lamar Jackson, 23, of Canton, entered a negotiated guilty plea on May 28 to all 10 charges he faced, including two counts of rape, three counts of aggravated sodomy, kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and terroristic threats.
According to prosecutors, the victim responded to a Nextdoor post seeking an apartment cleaner and arrived at Jackson’s apartment on April 6 to assess the job.
While the woman was in the bathroom, Jackson attacked her, stabbing her in the face and eye with a small screwdriver, choking her and forcing his fingers down her throat to keep her from screaming, prosecutors said.
Authorities said Jackson held the woman against her will for five hours, sexually assaulting her multiple times and threatening to kill her if she tried to escape.
Despite suffering serious injuries, including an orbital fracture and brain bleeds, the victim eventually convinced Jackson to allow her to seek medical treatment. She agreed to tell hospital staff she had fallen and struck her face on a counter.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 2 dead, 1 injured from helicopter crash in Dawson County
- Metro Atlanta officer killed in crash less than a year after joining department
- Missing Georgia man found dead in woods; 2 charged
Jackson accompanied the woman to Northside Cherokee Hospital and waited while she received treatment. Medical staff determined her injuries were inconsistent with a fall, and Jackson was arrested in the hospital waiting room.
Canton police investigators later executed search warrants at Jackson’s apartment and on his cellphone. Detectives recovered a bloody towel, the screwdriver allegedly used in the attack and other evidence consistent with the victim’s account.
According to prosecutors, investigators also found that 15 people responded to Jackson’s Nextdoor post seeking a cleaner. The victim was the only woman he contacted directly.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis said the evidence suggested Jackson intentionally targeted the victim because she was a woman working alone.
During the sentencing hearing, the victim delivered an impact statement describing the physical and emotional trauma she continues to endure and the impact the attack has had on her family.
A judge sentenced Jackson to life in prison with the possibility of parole, followed by 40 years on probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution, have no contact with the victim, register as a sex offender and undergo mental health and psychosexual evaluations and treatment.
“The defendant’s conduct was torturous and horrific,” District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said in a statement. “For five hours, this victim endured unimaginable violence.”
©2026 Cox Media Group
