WALKER COUNTY, Ga. – Michael Forker, a 74-year-old man from LaFayette, was convicted by a Walker County jury of Child Molestation, Sexual Exploitation of Children, and five separate counts of Invasion of Privacy on December 3, 2025.

Following his conviction, Forker was sentenced by Lookout Mountain Superior Court Chief Judge Brian House to 65 years with the first 58 years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections.

This case began when the victim, a juvenile female relative who was living with Forker, discovered a hidden camera in the floor vent in her bathroom. The victim ripped out the camera and turned it over to teachers and staff with LaFayette High School. LaFayette Police Department seized the camera and executed a search warrant at Forker’s home.

The search revealed Forker had a computer room in his home that was kept locked filled with laptops, desktop computers, and camera equipment. In this room, Forker had kept an external hard drive that contained hundreds of recordings over several years from the hidden camera that depicted the minor female victim using the bathroom.

Forker also maintained videos that depicted him installing and moving the camera to different hidden locations in the bathroom over the years.

A printed photograph was recovered that Forker had made using photoshop that depicted the face of the underage victim merged onto an image of a topless adult woman.

The victim bravely testified at trial against Forker regarding these acts and also told the jury about an incident where Forker committed an act of child molestation against her while he believed she was asleep.

The State of Georgia was represented by Senior Assistant District Attorney Winston Franklin, with assistance from Victim Advocate Brittany Bruce and Administrative Assistant Rebecca Fordney.

The case was expertly investigated by LaFayette Police Department Detective Robert Tate, with assistance from the Walker County Sheriff’s office.

From Acting District Attorney Deanna Reisman, “The District Attorney’s Office thanks our law enforcement partners for their commitment to seeking justice for child sexual abuse victims. Forker violated the trust of a young girl in a space where she deserved privacy and safety. The prosecution of Forker and the sentence imposed by Judge House ensure that he will never have the opportunity to victimize another child.”