MOULTRIE, Ga. — District Attorney Brad Shealy announced the results of the trial of a child rapist in Colquitt County Superior Court last week.

Christopher Hayes, 24, of Moultrie, was indicted for two counts of rape, one count of aggravated sexual battery and one count of aggravated child molestation.

The case was tried on Tuesday in front of Judge Richard M. Cowart. The jury heard testimony from the 18-year-old victim, who was 13 years old at the time of the first rape; from Dr. Billy Price, a family medicine practitioner in Moultrie, and from Investigator Austin Cannon of the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim, whose mother is the first cousin of the perpetrator, told the jury about her four-year history of sexual abuse by her relative. Price testified that the victim had tears or scarring of her hymeneal ring that were consistent with the victim’s description of the abuse.

According to Senior ADA J. David Miller, who prosecuted the case, the jury was excused from the courtroom after returning their verdict and Cowart informed Hayes that he was ordering a pre-sentence investigation to be conducted by the probation office and set his sentencing date for July 10.

After the pronouncement of the sentencing date, the victim, accompanied by DA’s Victim Advocate Heather Ireland, got up and started to leave the courtroom.

Hayes then suddenly jumped from his chair, slung it and started screaming at the victim and lunging towards her. He was quickly restrained by his public defender, immediate family members who were sitting behind him and six Colquitt County deputies.

Miller stated that in 34 years of prosecuting in the circuit, he had never seen a defendant attempt to attack a victim like that in the courtroom. The victim, visibly shaken by the experience, retreated to the witness room with her victim advocate, mother and the school resource officer to whom she first reported details of the abuse.

Miller stated that the investigation by the sheriff’s office, the forensic interview at the Child Advocacy Center, the doctor’s testimony and the initial report to SRO Katie Roberts were all critical to the successful prosecution.

Hayes will be facing 25 years to life on each count at sentencing. The victim will graduate this week from CCHS and plans to attend Valdosta State University in the fall.