DULUTH, Ga. — Editor's Note: The above video is from previous coverage of this story. Read below for the latest information.
A man who identifies as a "witch doctor" promised a "spiritual cleansing" through a "ritual," but instead lured a woman in for unwanted sex, according to a jury that convicted him, and he has now learned his sentence.
Hasaan Shalgheen, 45, was convicted on Tuesday and sentenced to life in prison for rape, false imprisonment, theft by deception, sexual battery and battery, according to the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office.
On February 5, 2023, police responded to the Berkeley Landing Apartment Homes on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
Shalgheen used social media to communicate and lure the victim to his apartment. The victim described Shalgheen as a "witch doctor" and she initially went to his apartment to be "cleansed" during a "ritual," a police report stated.
According to the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office, Shalgheen charged $1,500 for the "ritual." The victim paid him a $200 deposit and an additional $300.
The victim told officers that while she was at his home, Shalgheen told her the ritual would take three hours. He then told her to remove her clothing and gave her a white nightgown to wear.
The district attorney's office said that the woman initially did not want to take off her clothes, but remembered Shalgheen had a gun. He then forced himself on her and sexually assaulted and raped her twice.
According to a release from the district attorney, the woman then called Duluth Police. The department then obtained a warrant where they found evidence linking him to the sex crimes. He was then arrested.
After media coverage, four women contacted Duluth Police describing similar incidents with Shalgheen. Two of the victims even testified during the trial, which began on Feb. 26 and ended Tuesday morning after a jury deliberated for nearly a day and a half.
11Alive spoke with neighbors who lived near the "witch doctor" who were shocked to learn of the man's sex crimes shortly after the incident.
Duluth resident She’ Lewis couldn't believe the unsettling news so close to home, calling it both "crazy" and "far-fetched."
“I feel bad for her and in these desperate times people are looking for something, but they don’t realize the ultimate gift is through Jesus Christ,” Lewis said.