CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A Walker County man will spend life in prison for sexually abusing two young girls and a boy.
26-year-old Josiah Matthew Backus was convicted of aggravated child molestation and child molestation after admitting to repeatedly abusing the children, aged 5, 6, and 8.
Backus confessed to a friend in August 2024 that he had been molesting the kids. The Children’s Advocacy Center interviewed the children, who all bravely disclosed the abuse, corroborating one another’s accounts of repeated assaults. Backus later confirmed the acts during a police interview.
Following his conviction, a judge sentenced Backus to life in prison, with no parole eligibility for 35 years.
“This sentence sends a clear message: those who prey upon our children will face the full force of justice in this community. This man will never again harm another child,” said Lookout Mountain Judicial District Attorney Clayton Fuller.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
