CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — A Canton man gets nearly 30 years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl multiple times last summer.

Cherokee County Superior Court Judge Shannon Wallace sentenced 41-year-old Lucas Simon Lucas-Juan to 29 years in prison for three counts of child molestation on July 10.

Prosecutors say Lucas-Juan was seen abusing the seven-year-old girl inside a parked car outside the Walmart on Riverstone Parkway on July 22, 2024.

“While collecting grocery carts from the store parking lot, a Walmart employee saw a man commit immoral and indecent acts on a little girl inside a parked vehicle. Horrified by what she saw, the employee returned to the store and provided authorities with a description of the vehicle and its license plate,” said Assistant District Attorney David J. Bailey, who prosecuted this case on behalf of the State.

Surveillance footage from inside of the store also showed that he had abused the girl two other times earlier that day.

Lucas-Juan is required to register as a sex offender and follow all sex offender special conditions of probation.

“This case is a stark reminder that child sexual abuse can happen even in plain view in public places,” said District Attorney Susan K. Treadway. “This case underscores the importance of businesses, citizens, and law enforcement working together to safeguard our children.”