It began with a sleepover and a girl who spoke up. What she told police set off a case that, prosecutors say, pulled a predator into the light for sex abuse against his daughter and her friend.
📰 What’s Happening: According to the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, 36-year-old Christopher Mark Tidmore of Summerville, admitted to a string of sex crimes against his 15-year-old adopted daughter and her 15-year-old friend. On Aug. 7, a judge sentenced him to life, with 38 years to be served without the possibility of parole.
- The case began after a 15-year-old friend of Tidmore’s daughter disclosed abuse following a sleepover.
- Detective Josh Strauss with the Summerville Police Department led the investigation, according to the release.
🔎 Between the Lines: Investigators say Tidmore’s phone held key evidence. The district attorney’s office states that search warrants turned up recordings of abuse and images of minors engaged in sex acts.
- In a recorded interview, when asked if he had sexual activity with any minors, Tidmore replied, “yeah, my daughter.”
⏳ Catch Up Quick: The district attorney’s office says Tidmore pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual battery, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, incest, statutory rape, and several counts of sexual exploitation of children.
🌍 The Big Picture: Abuse often hides where trust lives. This case, as outlined by the district attorney’s office, began with a teen who spoke up. It moved fast once investigators secured search warrants and reviewed digital evidence. The sentence—life, with 38 years that cannot be cut short by parole—signals how the court says it will answer crimes against children in this region. It also shows why adults must listen hard when kids describe harm, and why digital trails can turn whispers into evidence a judge can weigh.
🗣️ The Words Used: “Evil walks among us every day. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist – but this case proved otherwise. This monster stole the innocence of children, and Detective Josh Strauss hunted him down, pulled evil into the light, and made sure he will spend the majority of his days behind iron bars,” District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller said.
The Sources Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, Court Records.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
