A Marietta man the kids knew as “Uncle J” is headed to prison for decades after admitting he molested a child he was trusted to babysit, according to officials. Jarrod Donte Luster, 39, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 15, to two counts of child molestation and received a 30-year sentence, with the first 20 years to be served in prison and the remaining years on probation under sex offender special conditions. Prosecutors say the case widened after other relatives stepped forward with similar allegations.
Prosecutors say he groomed the family
Assistant District Attorney Meaghan Frankish told WSB-TV that Luster “insidiously embedded himself within an extended family to gain access to their children.” Prosecutors said he slowly built trust over time, showing up to holidays and family gatherings and presenting a carefully crafted persona the children knew as “Uncle J.”
Court calendars and booking records
Public court calendars list an offense date in August 2018 and place Luster’s case on a Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit trial calendar, according to Cherokee County court calendars. Booking entries for “Jarrod Donte Luster” with a matching birth date also appear in local jail records on JailATM.
Sentence, victims’ impact and restrictions
The District Attorney’s office says the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office opened its investigation in November 2023 after a 14-year-old reported that Luster had touched him when he was eight, while being babysat in 2018. As detectives dug in, three more children from the extended family made similar disclosures.
At sentencing, the court heard six impact statements from family members describing lasting trauma. One parent told the judge that Luster had been deeply woven into their family life, underscoring how hard the betrayal hit.
Along with the prison term, Luster must register as a sex offender and is barred from any contact with people under 18 or with the four identified victims and their families, according to WSB-TV.
