Investigators say license plate reader technology helped identify a suspect after the 14-year-old reported being assaulted while walking to school.
CANTON, GA — A 42-year-old Canton man accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl after she missed her school bus remained jailed without bond after his first court appearance Friday, according to authorities and local court reporting.
Raymond Sookram faces charges of aggravated child molestation, trafficking a person for sexual servitude and interference with custody, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested Aug. 27 after detectives executed a search warrant at his Canton home. The charges are allegations, and the available court records and reporting do not show that Sookram has been convicted in the case.
The investigation began after the girl missed her school bus on Aug. 21 and started walking to school along Hickory Road, sheriff’s officials said. The teenager reported that a man driving a large truck stopped and asked whether she needed a ride. Investigators said he persuaded her to enter the vehicle.
The girl told authorities that the driver then took her to a location in Canton, where she was sexually assaulted, before dropping her off near her school. Officials have not publicly identified the teenager, consistent with protections typically afforded to minors in sexual assault cases. The specific location where the alleged assault occurred also has not been released.
After reaching the school, the teenager reported what had happened to school police, according to local reports citing sheriff’s officials. Detectives with the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office and its Real Time Intelligence Center began investigating the vehicle description provided by the girl.
Authorities said investigators used automated license plate reader technology to locate a truck that matched the description. Information obtained through the camera system helped detectives corroborate parts of the girl’s account and develop Sookram as a suspect, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators later obtained a search warrant for his residence and arrested him Thursday morning.
Sookram appeared before Judge Frank Starosto Jr. on Friday afternoon at the Cherokee County jail. Starosto said the court could not grant bond because of the charges Sookram faces. During the proceeding, the judge advised Sookram to allow his attorney to speak on his behalf rather than discussing the case himself.
Authorities have not publicly released the make, model or license plate number of the truck investigators identified. Sheriff’s officials also have not announced evidence beyond the vehicle information and other details they said helped corroborate the teenager’s report. No additional suspects have been publicly identified.
Sookram remained in the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center without bond as of the latest available reporting. A date for a preliminary hearing or other future court proceeding had not been publicly announced. The investigation remained active, and authorities had not released additional information about the teenager or the location of the alleged assault.
Author note: Last updated August 31, 2026.