Centerville man sentenced to life after sexual battery conviction

Prosecutors say the conviction followed a jury trial tied to a 2022 assault.

HOUSTON COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Centerville man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of aggravated sexual battery and other charges following a jury trial.

According to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office, 42-year-old Gary Demont Shannon was convicted April 15 after a three-day trial in Superior Court and sentenced on Monday by Judge G.E. |”Bo” Adams.

Prosecutors say Shannon was found guilty of aggravated sexual battery, aggravated assault and false imprisonment.

According to the district attorney’s office, the charges stem from a November 3, 2022 incident in which Shannon sexually assaulted his longtime romantic partner.

Prosecutors say Shannon strangled the victim until she lost consciousness, struck her and held her against her will inside a bedroom during the assault, which lasted nearly an hour.

The victim was able to escape and alert law enforcement. Prosecutors say DNA evidence presented at trial corroborated the assault.

“This case represents one of the most serious forms of violence we prosecute—where domestic abuse escalates into sexual violence and life-threatening physical harm,” District Attorney Eric Edwards said. “The defendant’s actions in this case were prolonged, deliberate, demeaning, and extraordinarily dangerous.”