Michael William Lesher, 53, was sentenced to 438 years in an Alabama penitentiary for his part in raping, sodomizing and sexually abusing two of his own children a dozen years ago.
(WALA/Meredith) -- A Georgia father was sentenced to 438 years in an Alabama penitentiary for his part in raping, sodomizing and sexually abusing two of his own children a dozen years ago.
The sentencing for Michael William Lesher, 53, of Carollton, Ga. was announced Wednesday.
The victims reported the crimes in 2007 after a school resource officer reported an injury to one of the victim’s necks.
According to Tuscaloosa News, prosecutors were unable to get far with the case until the victims were in their 20s and willing to testify. There is no statute of limitations for sex crimes against children.
Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson said he is pleased with the sentence, noting that the conviction and sentence give some closure to the victims, who were believed by some in law enforcement to be too young to testify when the incidents were first reported.
Despite the case being delayed for years before he entered office, Anderson said, “seeking justice for these victims became the goal of the Morgan County District Attorney’s office. They have waited far too long for their day in court, and I am glad that we were finally able to give them the opportunity to tell about the abuse that they suffered at the hands of their father.”
A Morgan County jury convicted Lesher on March 29 following a four-day trial in Circuit Court. The jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of Rape in the First Degree, two counts of Sodomy in the First Degree and two counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree as well as one count of Incest.
Judge Stephen F. Brown handed down Lesher’s sentence Tuesday afternoon in Decatur. Chief Assistant District Attorney Paul Matthews and Assistant District Attorney Courtney Schellack prosecuted the case for the state.
“In my 37 years as a prosecutor, this is singularly the most disturbing case of child sexual assault that I have ever tried," Matthews said.
Lisa Lesher, 40, who prosecutors say was an accomplice to her husband’s crimes, remains in custody pending trial.
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