Father Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexual Exploitation of His Child in Catoosa County
CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. – A Catoosa County jury convicted John Christian Collier, 35, of 16 counts of sexually related crimes against his biological child, resulting in a sentence of 35 years in prison followed by 15 years of Sex Offender probation.
The verdict was returned on September 24th after a three-day trial before Superior Court Judge Don Thompson.
Details of the Crimes and Evidence
The case began after the child confided in their mother that the father, Collier, had been “acting strange,” forcing the child to change clothes in front of him and sometimes filming the child in various states of undress during weekend visitations.
Charges included:
- Enticing a child for an indecent purpose
- Child molestation
- Sexual exploitation of children
- Grooming of a minor
Evidence presented at trial detailed escalating abuse:
- Forced Nudity: The child disclosed that Collier insisted the child change clothes in front of him, and on several occasions forced the child to get fully nude for alleged “measurements” for online clothes shopping.
- Recorded Assault: The child also disclosed an incident where Collier insisted the child be fully nude while he wrestled the child, claiming he was teaching self-defense.
Digital Evidence: Detective Todd Pitts of the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant for Collier’s electronics. The search uncovered four separate videos of the child, including the video of Collier wrestling his nude child. Additionally, dozens of zoomed-in screenshots and a photo collage comparing an old nude picture of the child’s mother (Collier’s ex-wife) side-by-side with a nude picture of the child were located.
Sentencing
At the sentencing hearing on November 10, 2025, Assistant District Attorney David Wolfe argued that Collier showed no remorse. Judge Don Thompson sentenced Collier, calling him a predator and noting his lack of remorse was troubling.
The case was prosecuted by ADA David Wolfe with support from the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Children’s Advocacy Center.
