Rockmart man convicted of raping adopted child, more charges pending
A years-long cycle of sexual abuse was broken once a child finally felt safe enough to speak.
She’d suffered in silence since she was 9 years old, after the man who adopted her and gave her a home began to sexually abuse her. There were many reasons why: She didn’t want her parents to divorce, she was afraid she wouldn’t have a place to live, she wanted her mother to be happy.
In that time she’d heard threats coming from Dustin Lee Dowdy, her adoptive father, to her mother. He’d say things like their family would be homeless without him as the breadwinner. He’d tell them they couldn’t live without him.
And, as a very young child, she believed him. So she didn’t speak out, Rome Circuit Assistant District Attorney Leah Mayo said, but instead suffered through years and years of sexual abuse.
That lasted until Dowdy and the child’s mother separated. By then they had moved from Floyd County to Rockmart. Her mom got a house for her and her siblings and they were doing all right.
“Her mom had shown her she could support them,” Mayo said.
Then she was able to tell her mom a little, but only a little, about the abuse. They cut off contact with Dowdy and, one day, the child was able to tell a school counselor more — and it was enough to get the police involved.
As social service organizations like The Harbor House and Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia helped the girl, who was by then a young teen, she was able to bravely recount those horrific experiences in order to stop them from happening to others.
At the trial last week other children, both members of his family, testified that Dowdy had molested them as well.
During his testimony, Dowdy said that of his five children the primary victim was his favorite and called her “little momma.” He admitted to having a problem with alcohol and claimed the victim was lying, although he admitted to other lewd acts involving children.
In her closing arguments last Wednesday, Mayo asked the jury to be that child’s voice. Going back to the girl’s testimony in court, Mayo reminded them of her words “I thought if I said no, he wouldn’t do it... but no wasn’t an answer to him.”
“Say no to him now; find him guilty,” Mayo said.
The jury did. They found him guilty of rape of a child under the age of 10, rape of a child under the age of 16 and child molestation charges. A sentencing date has not yet been set for Dowdy, who faces additional charges in Polk County.