Man sentenced to decades in prison for attempted rape on Cherokee County overpass

A Cherokee County man has been sentenced to decades in prison for the attempted rape of a woman on an Acworth-area overpass, prosecutors say.

A jury convicted 33-year-old Sedric Charles Williams of criminal attempt to commit rape and two counts of sexual battery on Oct. 1.

Officials say Williams's arrest and conviction stems from an investigation that began on Aug. 1, 2024. On that day, a woman reported that she had been assaulted by a man on the overpass at Highway 92 and Interstate 75.

The victim told deputies that she was walking from a nearby McDonald's to a gas station when a man, later identified as Williams, approached her and asked her for sex. When the woman refused, she said he followed her onto the overpass and sexually assaulted her.

Deputies found Williams the next day in Bartow County. When speaking with investigators, he allegedly said that he "just touched her back."

"This defendant testified that when he saw the victim early that morning he 'got butterflies,'" said Cherokee County Assistant District Attorney Megan S. Hertel. "But evidence at trial showed that the victim told him she was not interested and walked away. He responded by chasing her down and assaulting her. Women should be able to walk alone safely in Cherokee County and, with this verdict and sentence, that message is clear."

Prosecutors say they learned that he was connected with another sexual battery case involving Williams that happened in September 2023, less than a mile away from the overpass. In that case, officials say the victim described a similar situation to the 2024 case.

"This defendant demonstrated a disturbing pattern of escalating violence, assaulting two victims within a year. We are grateful both women came forward and that our community is safer now that this defendant has been removed from the streets," said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway.

Following the jury's verdict, a superior court judge sentenced Williams to 40 years, with the first 35 in prison and the rest on probation.