Georgia Woman Was Raped As A Teen; A Jury Awarded Her $1 Billion

JONESBORO, GA — Six years ago, armed security guard Brandon Lamar Zachary raped 14-year-old Hope Cheston near her friend’s birthday party in Jonesboro. In 2015, Cheston’s mother sued Zachary's employer Crime Prevention Agency Inc. alleging the security company failed to keep Cheston safe and had been negligent in training and performance.

On Tuesday, Clayton County jurors awarded Cheston, now 20,$1 billion.

Her attorney called it one of the biggest victories for women in U.S. history. He said the award answered the "long-asked question" of "what is the value of a woman who has been sexually assaulted?"

"And I think that's a great thing," attorney L. Chris Stewart told reporters. "As I said at trial and as I say today there is no amount that can ever fix the harm that's done when a woman is raped."

Stewart said it was more significant that jurors left the jury box and hugged Cheston.

Cheston agreed the award showed the value of a woman.

"For the longest [time], I just thought it was swept under the rug and that it no longer mattered and that, you know, it just is what it is," she told reporters. "But come to find out 12 strangers feel like what I went through and my story and how I feel after six years is worth a billion dollars."

She said it's beautiful news that people understand the difference between right and wrong, and that "when you're wrong, you need to pay for it."

The rape happened near some picnic tables at the Pointe South Apartments in Jonesboro. Cheston had been with her boyfriend when the armed security guard approached, Stewart told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The guard instructed the boyfriend not to move and then raped Cheston, he said.

Stewart says Zachary wasn't licensed to be an armed guard and shouldn't have been hired, The Washington Post reported.

Cheston, a freshman in high school at the time, says word of what happened quickly spread to her classmates. She says was pained and felt like she was the only one could understand her situation.

"A lot of people at my school knew the situation before I even got to tell my story, so at that point it no longer became my story," she said. "It became everybody's opinion."

She later added: "I was 14. You took my childhood from me."

Cheston says the company never reached out to her to apologize and that she was even offered hush money.

Cheston's rapist, now 28, is in prison serving a 20-year sentence for statutory rape. His employer has changed its name to International Security Agency, Stewart says.

"There will be a subsequent lawsuit to go after the new company, because you can't change names or try and hide from responsibility," he said.

Attempts by the AP to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful. Experts say it is likely the company will appeal the award.

Three attorneys who weren't involved in the case told The New York Times they believe it is the largest verdict in U.S. history. Most cases are settled for significantly less money.

Patch typically does not identify victims of sexual assault, but Cheston told AP she wants her name used.

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