Ex-assistant principal at Houston County high school convicted of child sex crimes
The former assistant principal at a Houston County high school was convicted Wednesday of child molestation, incest and aggravated sodomy charges in “one of the most serious breaches of trust our justice system has ever [been] called upon to confront,” Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards said.
The victim, who was 8 years old when the abuse began, is related to Mason. The abuse continued for over nine years, Edwards said. A jury declared Mason guilty of engaging in three separate criminal acts involving the victim that had occurred over that time in Houston County.
The victim eventually disclosed the abuse to law enforcement, according to Edwards. During an investigation in the house where the abuse allegedly occurred, investigators were able to find a piece of carpet that bore Mason’s DNA. That evidence was used during the trial.
He was sentenced to life in prison, with an additional 30 years. If he is ever granted parole, for which he is eligible, he would have to register as a sex offender.
“For nearly a decade, a child was subjected to repeated sexual abuse by someone who should have been a protector,” Edwards said. “The jury listened carefully to the evidence, including the victim’s testimony and the forensic proof presented at trial, and returned a verdict that reflects the truth of what occurred.
“The sentence imposed ensures that this defendant will never again have the opportunity to harm a child in our community.”
