Paulding County Jury Convicts Dallas Man on Two Counts of Aggravated Sodomy
A Paulding County jury has found a Dallas, Georgia man guilty on two felony counts of aggravated sodomy following a four-day trial, according to District Attorney Robert S. Lane.
On December 12, 2025, jurors convicted 46-year-old Donald Lynn Brown Jr. of two counts of Aggravated Sodomy under Georgia law. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on a separate charge of rape, and the court declared a mistrial on that count.
The case stems from a Dallas Police Department investigation that began on February 1, 2022, after a 20-year-old woman reported that Brown, her child’s paternal grandfather, had sexually assaulted her. During the trial, the victim testified along with lead investigator Detective Lakeisha Pressley, formerly known as Lakeisha Johnson.
After deliberating for two days, jurors returned guilty verdicts on Counts 2 and 3, both aggravated sodomy charges. They remained divided on Count 1, the rape charge. Both the prosecution and defense agreed the court should accept the partial verdicts and declare a mistrial on the remaining count.
Under Georgia law, rape and aggravated sodomy are defined as separate offenses. Rape is narrowly defined as non-consensual penetration of a female sex organ by a male sex organ, while other forms of non-consensual penetration fall under aggravated sodomy. Because of this distinction, juries can reach different conclusions on charges arising from the same incident. Both offenses carry the same potential punishment, ranging from 25 years to life in prison.
District Attorney Lane praised the outcome and the victim’s testimony, saying the convictions show that offenders will be held accountable. He also commended law enforcement and the prosecution team for their work on the case.
The Honorable T. David Lyles presided over the trial and has scheduled sentencing for January 13, 2026. The case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Christina Morgan-Young and Ashley McDonald of the Paulding Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
