Gainesville Man Sentenced to 25 Years Without Parole for Sexually Assaulting 14-Year-Old
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway announced that Michael Dennis Shumaker, 32, of Gainesville, pleaded guilty on October 20 to multiple sexual offenses stemming from a case where he traveled to meet and exploit a minor he contacted online.
Chief Superior Court Judge David L. Cannon Jr. sentenced Shumaker to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by life on probation with sex offender special conditions. He is also prohibited from any contact with the victim.
Details of the Crime and Charges
Charges stemmed from an investigation by the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office:
- Online Contact: In August 2023, Shumaker met a 14-year-old on the social media platform Tumblr.
- Assault: After communicating online, Shumaker traveled to Cherokee County, took the child to the Woodstock Microtel Inn, and sexually assaulted her.
Shumaker pleaded guilty to:
- Aggravated Child Molestation
- Enticing a child for indecent purposes
- Statutory Rape
- Two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children
Investigation and Outcome
The child later provided detailed accounts of the assault during a forensic interview at the Anna Crawford Children’s Center. The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office and the FBI collected additional evidence, including hotel records, photos, and videos, which corroborated the victim’s disclosure.
Assistant District Attorney Leyna Pope of the Special Victims Unit noted that Shumaker “knew this child’s age and specifically targeted her because she was vulnerable.”
During the plea hearing, an impact statement read by ADA Pope described the profound trauma inflicted on the victim. District Attorney Treadaway praised the law enforcement agencies involved, stating, “With this sentence, our community is safer, and a young victim can begin to heal knowing that justice has been served.”
