Hays Post
A former Hays Mayor will serve a 20-year prison sentence in Georgia.
Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit district attorney Susan K. Treadaway said in a statement Aug. 8 on May 15, Troy Dean Hickman, 59, Canton, Ga., pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual battery and two counts of exploitation and intimidation of a disabled adult.
Hickman served as a Hays city commissioner from 1997 to 2013, serving as mayor for five of those years. He also was the executive director at Ellis County First Call for Help from 2010 to 2013, according to his LinkedIn profile.
At the time of his departure from the commission, Hays commissioners proclaimed April 11, 2013 as Troy Hickman Day in recognition of his 16 years of service on the city commission.
He was most recently employed by the Cherokee County Georgia School District.
“The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office first became aware of these allegations in November 2022 after the young woman disclosed the abuse to a friend,” according to the release. “Hickman, who was a relation, frequently spent time alone with the victim, committing the acts over the course of several years, beginning when the victim was approximately 18 years old.”
“Victims of sexual assault are often afraid to come forward, and that was certainly the case here,” said Assistant District Attorney Elliot Stone, who prosecuted the case. “The victim is intellectually disabled and had been subjected to repeated threats of harm by this defendant as he attempted to prevent her from revealing the abuse. She bravely overcame that fear by seeking help.”
“While Troy Hickman admitted to his crimes, he used alcohol as an excuse for his despicable behavior and even suggested that the victim was partly to blame.”
During the investigation, the Anna Crawford Children’s Center conducted a forensic interview in which the victim described the specific acts by Hickman that resulted in the charges of aggravated sexual battery.
The victim’s mother addressed the court during the plea hearing, describing the impact of Hickman’s crimes.
Superior Court Judge Tony Baker sentenced Hickman to 20 years in prison, followed by probation for the remainder of his life.
“Through the duration of his sentence, Hickman is forbidden to have contact with the victim or her family,” according to the release. “He must also obtain a psycho-sexual evaluation, receive treatment for substance abuse and adhere to sex offender special conditions.”
Hickman will not be eligible for parole during his 20-year prison sentence.
“The victim looked to this defendant as a father figure, and it is despicable that he would manipulate her trust and vulnerability for his own sexual desires,” said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. “Our hope is the victim and her family will find peace and healing in knowing that this defendant has received justice for his crimes and that he will never again be able to hurt another individual in this way.”