Summerville Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Heinous Sexual Abuse of Step-Daughter and Friend

SUMMERVILLE, GA – A 36-year-old Summerville man, Christopher Mark Tidmore, has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple acts of sexual abuse against his 15-year-old adopted daughter and her friend. He must serve 38 years of the sentence without the possibility of parole.

The case, investigated by Detective Josh Strauss with the Summerville Police Department, came to light when Tidmore’s daughter’s friend disclosed that she had been sexually abused by him during a sleepover.

The investigation led to the seizure and search of Tidmore’s electronic devices, which revealed he had used his cell phone to record himself committing numerous acts of molestation against his adopted daughter. The phone also contained multiple images of minors engaged in sexual acts. During his interview with Detective Strauss, Tidmore chillingly and casually admitted to the abuse, saying, “yeah, my daughter.”

Tidmore pleaded guilty to a list of charges, including Aggravated Sexual Battery, Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sodomy, Incest, Statutory Rape, and several counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children. The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Deanna Reisman.

District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller praised the detective’s work, stating, “This monster stole the innocence of children, and Detective Josh Strauss hunted him down, pulled evil into the light, and made sure he will spend the majority of his days behind iron bars.”