MACON, Ga. — A man has pleaded guilty to three counts of child molestation which the Macon-Bibb District Attorney's Office says involved "a pattern of abuse over several years, multiple victims and multiple jurisdictions."
It all started in 2019 when victims originally accused 62-year-old Michael Elsasser of misconduct. After forensic interviews law enforcement "was able to substantiate the claims of abuse," the DA's Office said.
After that, Elsasser was charged in both Crawford and Peach County.
On Friday, he pleaded guilty, the DA's Office said in a press release. He was sentenced to 60 years, and he'll spend the first 50 years in prison.
The structure of the plea deal enabled Elsasser to plead guilty to each of the crimes for each of the three different victims.
In the statement, Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard says that she is glad that the plea can give the victims some "measure of closure and can begin a healing journey."
"I grieve for the lost innocence of these three young girls, but am so very thankful for their bravery in disclosing the wrongs that were done to them and for the support they received from their families," Howard said in the statement.
After the forensic interviews, the GBI was called in to help assist with the investigation.
The Macon Judicial Circusit's District Attorney's Office thanked the GBI and the Crawford County Sheriff's Office for their work on the case.
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