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.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
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.
