Man sentenced to 15 years for aggravated stalking
A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for aggravated stalking and violating a family violence order, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Christopher Mackey Kaufman, 39, was sentenced April 10 to serve 15 years in prison after entering a non-negotiated guilty plea to six counts of aggravated stalking and five counts of violation of a family violence order.
This is the fifth time over the past eight years that Kaufman has been charged and convicted in cases involving stalking and harassing the same victim.
According to the district attorney’s office, Kaufman and the victim had been in an intimate relationship and had a child together. During the relationship, the victim said Kaufman physically assaulted and threatened her, but she never called law enforcement.
In 2016, the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office became aware of Kaufman’s criminal actions. Deputies determined that Kaufman had been watching his ex-girlfriend’s home, calling her repeatedly, and sleeping in a trailer on her property. After his arrest, he continued to contact her from jail. He was then found guilty of 22 misdemeanors including stalking, criminal trespass, harassing communications, criminal attempt to commit a misdemeanor, and violation of a protective order.
He was sentenced to serve time in jail and ordered no contact of any kind with the victim. A permanent protective order also forbade him from contacting the victim.
Instead of following these orders, prosecutors said he continued to harass and intimidate the same woman, illegally using contraband cell phones from the state prison to reach out to his ex-girlfriend via social media. He was charged, prosecuted, and sentenced four more times.
“Modern culture often depicts ‘stalking’ as either non-threatening, romantic gestures or as direct, violent threats. In reality, aggravated stalking is typically a more subtle contact that inflicts fear and terror in its intended target. This defendant was violent with the victim when they dated, to the point that he threatened to kill her if he couldn’t have her,” said Deputy Chief Ashe. “With this history, his relentless contact with the victim was perceived as sinister and dangerous.”
At the conclusion of the hearing, Superior Court Judge Tony Baker sentenced
Kaufman to 35 years, with 15 years to serve in prison. He is forbidden to have contact with the victim and banned from the state of Georgia.
“Our Domestic Violence Unit is trained to look at lethality factors during the prosecution of cases, and aggravated stalking is one of the most serious signs that a victim is in imminent danger. Repeated unwanted contact, surveilling, threats, and other acts of stalking have a serious and long-lasting effect on the victims of this crime,” District Attorney Susan Treadaway said. “Our hope is that this long prison sentence will bring peace of mind to a woman who has endured years of this defendant’s criminal behavior.”
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, contact the Cherokee Family Violence Center at 770-4791703 (24/7 crisis hotline). In case of an emergency, call 911.