A California man has been given six months in jail for molesting a 13-year-girl here five years ago in an incident he claims he does not remember because he was a drug addict at the time.
The man, Damon Louis Lawson, 49, entered a guilty plea to the lesser count of assault by touching and was ordered by General Sessions Judge Bill Locke to serve six months in jail. Lawson had originally been charged with sexual battery.
The incident for which Lawson was sentenced happened in the summer of 2012 while the defendant was staying at the victim’s home. The girl was 13 at that time and recalled she was sleeping on the couch one night when the incident happened.
“She was sleeping on the couch when Mr. Lawson began touching her,” said sheriff’s investigator Jason Rowland, noting the touches were to the girl’s private parts. “He touched her until she ran to her bedroom.”
The incident went unreported at the time and Lawson moved to California. However, the victim recently came forward and was interviewed by authorities at the Children’s Advocacy Center. From there, lawmen were able to locate Lawson who had returned to Tennessee. Rowland talked to the suspect.
“He said he did not remember touching the victim but that it may have occurred due to his drug abuse and alcohol abuse at the time,” Rowland said.
His sentence is to be served in addition to any time he may owe on other charges.