Aaron Terrell Tyler, 43, of Stockbridge, GA, was sentenced to 25 years without the possibility of parole followed by life on probation by Superior Court Judge Scott Minter. Minter also ordered Tyler to register as a sex offender and have no contact with the three victims.
Tyler pleaded guilty to aggravated sodomy in one case and also pleaded guilty to two unrelated charges in another case: false imprisonment and simple assault.
Tyler came to Whitfield County in June under sentence from Clayton County. He was refused by a local treatment facility for being a registered sex offender out of Minnesota. Tyler is also a convicted sex offender in Illinois in connection to a 1995 case. The next morning, at a local hotel, Tyler committed false imprisonment against a victim and simple assault against another.
The investigation began shortly after 7:10 am Tuesday, June 20th, 2023, when a woman arrived at the Dalton Police Services Center at 301 Jones Street to report an assault. The woman told an investigator that she was staying overnight at the Red Roof Inn on West Walnut Avenue while traveling through the area. She was loading her car to check out when she was approached by a man who asked her if he could help her with her luggage. The woman declined and went back to her room and the suspect followed her inside. He closed the door behind them and attempted to lock the door but the woman began to yell and scream for help. After being unable to quiet the victim down, the man fled. At this point, a description of the suspect was given to patrol officers who began to look for the suspect.
When the detective arrived at the hotel, staff at the front desk told them that a man matching the suspect’s description was staying at the hotel named Aaron Tyler. Detectives attempted to make contact with Tyler but were unable to locate him. The detective then encountered a second woman in the lobby of the hotel who was very upset and reported encountering the same suspect. The second victim told investigators that she had a knock on the door of her room earlier in the morning and that when she answered the door, a man matching the suspect’s description attempted to force his way into the room. The victim was able to stop him and push him back out and closed and locked the door to get away.
Investigators executed a search warrant on the room rented by Tyler and were able to determine that he was the suspect in both assaults. Investigators determined that Tyler was released from the Clayton County Jail on felony charges the day before.
Hours later, Tyler arrived at the East Walnut Avenue Walmart Supercenter where he forced his way into a women’s restroom stall and violently sexually assaulted a third victim. Both the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and DPD responded. Tyler was taken into custody.
The state’s case was presented by District Attorney Benjamin Kenemer. Kenemer applauded the victims’ courage for telling their stories.
“All three ladies expressed the desire to see Tyler plead guilty and avoid a trial where they would have to testify,” said Kenemer. “Each victim was given the plea recommendation that Judge Minter accepted and all three asked that he be sentenced as such.”
The WCSO’s case was led by Detective Chris Hicks, and the DPD case was led by Detective Chris Tucker. Kenemer expressed thanks for a swift response to the dangerous situation: “Local law enforcement began efforts right away to find Tyler, and their cooperation certainly helped in making sure that each of the three cases was brought to a just resolution.”
