Canton Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Brutal Rape and Kidnapping of House Cleaner

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Georgia – A Cherokee County man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to raping, kidnapping, and violently assaulting a woman he lured to his apartment under the pretense of hiring her for a cleaning job.

Susan K. Treadaway announced that 23-year-old Ezekiel Lamar Jackson of Canton entered a negotiated guilty plea on May 28 and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Jackson pleaded guilty to all 10 charges against him, including two counts of rape, three counts of aggravated sodomy, kidnapping, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated battery, and terroristic threats.

According to investigators with the Canton Police Department, the victim, a residential cleaner, responded to a post on the Nextdoor app seeking apartment cleaning services.

On April 6, 2025, she arrived at Jackson’s apartment to assess the work. Prosecutors said Jackson attacked her without warning while she was standing in the bathroom.

Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis told the court that Jackson stabbed the victim in the face and eye with a small screwdriver, forced his fingers down her throat to stop her from screaming, strangled her to the point she felt she was losing consciousness, and slammed her head against a bathroom counter.

Prosecutors said Jackson then held the victim captive inside the apartment for approximately five hours while repeatedly sexually assaulting her and threatening to kill her if she attempted to escape.

Despite suffering severe injuries, including continuous bleeding from her facial wounds, the victim eventually convinced Jackson to allow her to seek medical treatment after agreeing to tell hospital staff she had fallen.

Jackson accompanied her to Northside Cherokee Hospital and waited while she received treatment.

Medical personnel determined the victim had suffered an orbital fracture and brain bleeds from the assault. She was later transferred to the intensive care unit at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

Jackson was arrested in the hospital waiting room.

Search warrants executed at Jackson’s apartment uncovered a bloody towel, the screwdriver allegedly used in the attack, first-aid supplies, and other evidence corroborating the victim’s account.

Investigators also examined Jackson’s cellphone and discovered that 15 people had responded to his Nextdoor post seeking a cleaner. Authorities said all of the other respondents were either male or represented larger cleaning companies, while Jackson chose only the female victim.

“Evidence suggests this defendant intentionally targeted this victim because she was a woman working alone,” Chavis said. “He is a dangerous man, and the brutality of his actions is shocking. The victim demonstrated great courage and strength, and ultimately saved her own life in the face of such evil.”

At sentencing, the victim delivered an impact statement describing the attack, its lasting physical and emotional effects, and the impact on her children.

Chief Superior Court Judge David L. Cannon Jr. sentenced Jackson to life in prison with the possibility of parole, followed by 40 years of probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution, have no contact with the victim, register as a sex offender, undergo psychosexual and mental health evaluations and treatment, and comply with sex offender probation conditions.

“The defendant’s conduct was torturous and horrific,” Treadaway said. “For five hours, this victim endured unimaginable violence. A sentence of life in prison is the only appropriate outcome for the deeply disturbing actions of this defendant.”

The case was investigated by the Canton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis of the Gang/Organized Crime Unit.