Cherokee County jury convicts man for abusing special needs child in less than an hour

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Canton man was convicted in less than an hour in Cherokee County after a trial accusing him of abusing a special needs child.

According to the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office, Tyler James Esponge was accused of abusing a three-year-old child back in February 2021.

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Medical staff at Kennestone Hospital reported the possible abuse of a child who was brought in with a fractured femur, bite marks on her shoulder and ankle, bruising on her arms, legs and right eye and petechiae under her left arm, the DA’s office said.

Canton Police officers were called to investigate and learned the child was left alone with Esponge while their mother was at work.

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When the mother realized her daughter was injured, she sought medical assistance.

The DA’s office said that since the child is both nonverbal and deaf, she wasn’t able to tell police who had injured her, so investigators used forensics to find male DNA present in saliva on the bite marks found on her body.

At trial, prosecutors showed evidence to the jury that Esponge had repeatedly hurt the child over the course of two years, in addition to abusing another child 10 years earlier.

Multiple witnesses, including police officers, medical professionals, a forensic biologist, Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services staff and an expert in pediatric medicine and child abuse all testified in court.

On Thursday, after a three-day trial, and less than an hour of deliberation, Esponge was convicted by a Cherokee County jury for charges of cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated battery and battery.

A sentencing date for the 38-year-old Esponge has not yet been set.

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