Josiah Matthew Backus

WALKER COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) — A Walker County man received a life in prison after being convicted of aggravated child molestation.

On August 4, 2024, the Walker County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) received a report that Josiah Matthew Backus confessed to sexually abusing children.

According to the Lookout Mountain District Attorney’s Office, the WCSO launched an investigation and interviewed the victims.

The victims statements aligned with one another, and when Backus was interviewed by detectives, he admitted to committing the sexual abuse.

Backus later pled guilty to multiple counts of Aggravated Child Molestation and Child Molestation.

On August 28, 2025, Backus was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

““This sentence sends a clear messag

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