Justin Ross Harris

VALDOSTA, Ga. — A man convicted in a high-profile case of killing his toddler son by leaving him in a hot car will spend the rest of his life in a state prison in Lowndes County, according to officials.

Justin Ross Harris, 36, has been transferred to Valdosta State Prison, said Gwendolyn Hogan, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Cobb County jurors in November found the 36-year-old Harris guilty of murder after his son, 22-month-old Cooper, died in the back of an SUV in June 2014 as temperatures climbed into the high 80s. He was sentenced to life without parole.

He was also convicted of sex exploitation of a child, distribution of obscene material and cruelty to children, according to prison records. On the day of his son’s death, Harris was reportedly sexting with a number of women, including a minor, according to news coverage of the trial.

Prosecutors argued Harris deliberately locked the boy in the hot vehicle because he wanted to be free of family responsibilities, while the defense argued it was a tragic accident.

Harris’ lawyers have filed a motion for a new trial, claiming prejudicial testimony allowed by the court made a fair trial impossible.

Harris moved from Tuscaloosa, Ala., to Georgia to work at Home Depot’s corporate office in Cobb County.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.