A Rabun County High School cafeteria worker is behind bars after deputies say she engaged in inappropriate physical and electronic contact with a minor.
The 26-year-old, identified by authorities as Ashleigh Wilson of Clayton, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Rabun County Detention Center. She now faces multiple felony counts, including aggravated child molestation, child molestation, grooming of a minor and sexual exploitation of a child, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the Rabun County Board of Education requested a law enforcement investigation after complaints were brought to school officials. Deputies told the station the probe focused on “physical contact and electronic communication,” and investigators ultimately identified a high school employee as the subject of their inquiry.
As reported by Atlanta News First, Wilson was booked on Feb. 26 and will remain in custody while the investigation continues. The sheriff’s office told the outlet that once investigators finish compiling evidence, the case file will go to the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.
Charges And What They Could Mean
Aggravated child molestation is one of Georgia’s most serious felonies. Under O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4, the offense can carry a life sentence or a split sentence that includes at least 25 years in prison before any probation.
Georgia’s grooming statute makes it a felony to engage in a pattern of conduct intended to prepare or coerce a minor for a sexual offense. That crime is punishable by one to five years behind bars under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100.5. Sexual-exploitation laws, including O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100, address the production, distribution or possession of sexually explicit material involving minors.
Local Context And Safety Measures
The case lands in a community already on edge over staff-related allegations. In November 2025, a school janitor was arrested on grooming-related charges, a situation that fueled local concern about oversight of school employees.
The sheriff’s office has described the Wilson investigation as active and says it will not release additional details while the probe continues.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, per the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office. The charges against Wilson are allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
