Man who raped and stabbed Gwinnett teen sentenced – 95.5 WSB

Iona tied up the girl and then sexually assaulted her, stabbing her repeatedly.

He fled and the girl managed to get help. After several operations, the girl survived.

After his prison sentence, Iona must serve five years of probation and register as a sex offender.

Iona also pleaded guilty to additional charges, including aggravated assault, sexual abuse of a child, child molestation and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime.

“This should be a warning to our young people to be careful,” Gatson said. “As this case shows, not everyone you meet on social media has the best interests of you.”

According to a press release from the prosecutor’s office, the victim met Iona through SnapChat. In February 2022, the teen allowed the defendant to visit her at a home in Hoschton. The defendant arrived with rolls of duct tape, ropes, and a knife. He tied the teen’s hands, put duct tape over her mouth, and then raped her. During the sexual assault, he began stabbing the teen in the face, torso, neck, legs, and arms. He then fled.

The teenager managed to crawl to her phone and call for help.

The press release said police were able to identify the defendant based on a photo on the teenager’s SnapChat. Police searched Iona’s car and found duct tape and rope, as well as blood.

During her plea, the teenager told the judge that she had just graduated from high school and considered it a blessing to be alive.

The teenager has undergone several operations and physiotherapy, but can now walk again.