Tunnel Hill man sentenced for child molestation

CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) — A Catoosa County jury convicted a Tunnel Hill man on Wednesday of molesting his daughter.

Officials said they are charging Michael Shane Cramer with two counts of child molestation and one count of enticing a child for indecent purposes.

The Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit said the trial lasted two days. They said in the trial, evidence “showed that Cramer began molesting his 13-year-old daughter in the summer of 2018.”

Judge Thompson sentenced the 53-year-old man to 40 years, with 39 to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections.

His daughter had lived most of her life with her maternal grandparents, according to court officials. However, Cramer got visitation and weekend visits during the summer of 2018.

Court officials said the acts would happen at his home in Tunnel Hill.

The victim’s grandfather found text messages about the acts and contacted the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office in September 2018, police said.

In addition, the judicial circuit said the jury returned the guilty verdict in less than two hours.