THOMASVILLE — David Wayne Craven, his cell phone clipped to his waist, sat in the Thomas County Superior Court courtroom Thursday morning. On a large screen, a jury in deliberations watched again a videotaped interview of the child Craven was accused of molesting.

The jury returned to deliberations. While another trial was under way, Craven, who was free on bond, walked around in corridors outside the third-floor courtroom at the Thomas County Courthouse.

After deliberating several hours Wednesday afternoon and several more Thursday, jurors found Craven guilty on four charges.

Judge Frank Horkan sentenced Craven, 34, to life in prison on aggravated sodomy, 20 years consecutive on a second count of aggravated sodomy, 20 years consecutive on aggravated child molestation and 10 years consecutive on child molestation.

Testimony, which began Monday, ended Wednesday afternoon.

In June 2004, the victim’s grandmother went to the Thomasville Police Department (TPD) to report a child molestation. The woman told an officer her granddaughter, who was 11, had been sad and angry.

When the woman asked the child why she was sad and angry, the girl told her Craven had been doing “terrible things” to her, a June 26, 2004, incident report shows.

The grandmother said the activity had been under way since the girl was about seven and took place each time the child’s mother left Craven and the girl alone.

Craven exhibited no emotion when the verdicts were read, but emotions were evident elsewhere.

The child molestation accusations were the first major case for Capt. Troy Rich after he took command of the TPD Criminal Investigations Division.

“These cases aren’t easy, especially when you’re dealing with children being victims of the crime,” Rich said after the verdicts were returned.

He said police detectives did their best to properly investigate the Craven case and present what they found to the district attorney’s office.

“We are very satisfied with the verdict,” Rich said.

However, he added, there are no winners in the case.

“The child is a victim of a serious crime, and it is a difficult and emotional ordeal for her family,” the officer explained.

Ray Auman, Thomasville-based Southern Judicial Circuit senior assistant district attorney, prosecuted the Craven case.

“It was a very emotional trial,” Auman said Thursday afternoon. “I’m very proud of the little girl.”

The child, now 12, testified during the trial.

“The jury deliberated over six hours,” Auman said. “They obviously considered all the evidence, and they returned the right verdict.”

Craven was represented by Gil Murrah, a Bainbridge lawyer, who could not be reached for comment late Thursday afternoon.

Sue Gillespie, a legal secretary in his office, said Murrah was not expected at the office Thursday, but he told her via phone he will appeal the verdicts.



Senior reporter Patti Dozier an be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 220.