A Macon man who created fake Facebook profiles to manipulate a girl into participating in sex acts was found guilty of aggravated child molestation and other crimes Thursday.
According to the Macon-Bibb Sheriff’s Department, 44-year-old Adrian Fernand Tennison was convicted following a three-day jury trial in Bibb County Superior Court. A judge sentenced him to 75 years in prison. Due to his four prior felony convictions, Tennison will not be eligible for parole.
Prosecutors Dorothy Hull and Cara Fiore presented the following evidence during the trial:
A teenage girl testified Tennison engaged in sex acts with her between March 2016 and Sept. 2016 beginning when she was 12 years old. She believed Tennison was training her sexually in a 13-step program to be prepared when she’d one day marry a boyfriend she’d developed a relationship with on Facebook.
Facebook messages purported to be from the boyfriend’s mother encouraged the girl to have sex with Tennison, saying she had also trained with a trusted adult. Additionally, the girl was told that someone she loved would die if she didn’t undergo the sexual training.
A Bibb County Sheriff’s Office investigator testified evidence subpoenaed from Facebook shows Tennison created fake Facebook profiles portraying the boyfriend and the boyfriend’s mother. Evidence also showed Facebook profiles for Tennison and the two fake profiles used the same IP addresses, showing Tennison composed the messages sent to the girl that encouraged her to engage in sex acts with him.
Tennison’s wife testified she discovered the Facebook messages, leading to law enforcement’s involvement in the case.
Speaking after the trial, Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney David Cooke said, “What Mr. Tennison did wasn’t just manipulative, it was downright evil. He abused his position of trust to orchestrate this ruse and coerce a vulnerable child for his own perverted desires.”
