Man Convicted of Rape and Child Molestation in Walker County Sentenced to Life

On December 1, 2021, John Anthony Shiver, 25 years old, was tried and convicted of Rape and Child Molestation in Walker County after a two-day jury trial. The trial was presided over by Superior Court Judge Don W. Thompson. On April 27, 2022 Judge Thompson sentenced Shiver to Life in prison with twenty-five years to be served without the possibility of parole.

The victim was Shiver’s sister whom he had molested and raped over a five-year period from ages six through eleven.

The Shiver family moved to Northwest Georgia in 2013 from South Florida settling initially in Catoosa County. It was here that the sexual assaults against his six-year-old sister began.

Shiver continued to rape and molest his sister intermittently over the next five years until the family settled in the Rossville area of Walker County.

It was only after Shiver had moved to the State of Washington that his sister made disclosure of the abuse to their parents. The disclosure was immediately reported to the Walker County Sheriff’s office, where Detective Sergeant Zach Simpson was assigned to investigate the case. The victim was taken to the Child Advocacy Center where a forensic interview was conducted and a medical examination performed.

A roommate of the defendant testified that they overheard the Defendant talking about how to groom young children to make them more pliable for sexual abuse and also observed defendant looking up grooming techniques online. Defendant was also observed to have bragged about how he had control over a young girl.

The case was tried by Assistant District Attorney Bruce Roberts. District Attorney Arnt noted that this case further illustrates the office’s dedication to protecting children and holding sex predators accountable. ADA Roberts and the team of administrative assistants, victim advocates, the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Walker County Sheriff’s Department, did a tremendous job working on this case and preparing the victim to face her abuser in court.