CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Woodstock man convicted of sexually abusing three young girls over several years has been sentenced to years in prison, according to the Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Nicholas Scott Wrightsman, 47, was sentenced Tuesday after a Cherokee County jury found him guilty of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and nine counts of child molestation following a four-day trial.
Cherokee County investigators began looking into the case in 2020 after three girls disclosed abuse during forensic interviews. Prosecutors said the abuse began when the girls were around 6 years old and continued for years. The victims were early teenagers when they came forward.
According to prosecutors, the girls knew Wrightsman as “Uncle Nick,” a trusted family friend who gained access to the children by building close relationships with their parents.
During the trial, prosecutors said the parents trusted Wrightsman enough to allow sleepovers at his home near Lake Allatoona, believing he was simply generous and caring toward the children.
Assistant District Attorney Leyna Pope said Wrightsman used gifts, attention and emotional manipulation to groom both the children and their families.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Multiple students hospitalized after crash in Coweta County
- Metro Atlanta man runs from courthouse mid-trial
- House approves bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end the record shutdown
“He was masterful at not only grooming the girls but also manipulating the parents,” Pope said in a statement. “In my career as a prosecutor, I have never seen families manipulated as deeply as these.”
Testimony revealed the abuse allegedly began with what appeared to be innocent behavior, including tickling, games and cuddling during sleepovers. Child abuse experts who testified during the trial described those actions as grooming behaviors used to gradually desensitize children to sexual contact.
Prosecutors said the abuse escalated in 2020 when Wrightsman committed aggravated sexual acts against one of the girls, who was 14 years old at the time. Officials said that incident prompted the victim to disclose the abuse, leading to the investigation.
Wrightsman testified in his own defense and denied the allegations, claiming the children were lying.
During sentencing, the court heard emotional victim impact statements from the girls.
“Over that time, I was manipulated, controlled, and taken advantage of by someone I trusted deeply, someone I loved and believed would protect me,” one victim told the court.
Another victim said the abuse changed “how I trust, how I feel in my own body, and how safe I feel in the world.”
A judge sentenced Wrightsman to life plus 60 years in prison.
“These young girls showed extraordinary courage in coming forward and telling the truth about what this defendant did to them,” Cherokee County District Attorney Susan Treadaway said. “Their bravery made this outcome possible, and this sentence ensures he will never have access to another child.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]