A Peachtree

City man was convicted Thursday of molesting a Dallas, Ga., girl at his

former Fayette residence during a span of nearly three years that began

when she was 11 years old.

Craig Steven

Ferrill, 43, was found guilty of three counts of aggravated child molestation

and one count each of statutory rape, aggravated sexual battery and child

molestation. He was also found guilty of singular counts of possession

of a sawed-off shotgun, possession of marijuana and possession of methamphetamine

relating to contraband found during execution of a search warrant at his

home.

The jury found

Ferrill not guilty of enticing a child for indecent purposes.

Superior Court

Judge Johnnie L. Caldwell Jr. sentenced Ferrill to 50 years in prison

after the jury rendered its verdict.

The victim,

now 19, testified during the trial that Ferrill molested her "numerous

times" at his former residence in south Fayette County.

Among evidence

logged at the trial was a videotape depicting Ferrill and his wife engaged

in sexual conduct with another couple. The victim told police that Ferrill

had showed her that tape on several occasions, and the tape was found

at the Ferrills' residence when detectives with the Fayette County Sheriff's

Department served a search warrant there, officials said.

Ferrill's wife,

Penny, and his son, Craig Jr., both testified that Ferrill never molested

the victim, who is now 19. Ferrill himself declined to take the stand

in his own defense.

The victim

testified that most of the incidents took place in the basement of the

Ferrills' residence when she and her family would spend the night there

on the weekends. Craig Jr., now 17, said he always slept in the basement

each weekend and never saw any inappropriate conduct from his father toward

the victim.

In closing

arguments, assistant district attorney Dan Hiatt said Penny Ferrill was

caught lying on the stand. Mrs. Ferrill had testified that her husband

was unable to perform sexually after an auto accident in 1997, near the

end of the time period authorities claim the incidents took place.

But prosecutors

produced e-mails from the Ferrills to other couples that indicated Ferrill

was able to perform sexually.

Ferrill's attorney,

Tom Cook, said the victim "is the only person who says this sexual

contact occurred" and he pointed out there was no physical evidence

introduced in the case. Cook said the victim never attempted to stay away

from the Ferrills' home when her family would visit.

Cook also alleged

the prosecution entered the video into evidence and played it for over

an hour and a half for the jury to "slam" the Ferrills.

The victim

previously testified that Ferrill would sometimes molest her with other

children present, hiding the activity under a blanket. The assaults would

usually take place after everyone in the house was asleep, the victim

added.

"I was

scared of him but at the same time I trusted him and I didn't realize

that was wrong," the victim said. Later, she added that Ferrill told

her, "If I ever told, it would flip my world upside down. ... He

never threatened me but he did make it very clear that I could never tell."

The victim

told her mother about the incidents last year during an argument, she

said.