Cooper Cliatt sentenced on felony charges

LINCOLNTON, Ga. — Former Lincoln County District 3 Commissioner Cooper Cliatt was sentenced in court on June 16 in Lincoln County on charges of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree. The Honorable Judge Neal Dickert, Senior Judge of Superior Court, Toombs Judicial Circuit, presided.
Cliatt was sentenced as a first offender, and his negotiated plea resulted in the final disposition of felony charges with probation. He will serve 10 years on probation.
According to court documents, Cliatt is subject to arrest for any probation violation, and if his probation is revoked, the court may order incarceration. The documents also stated that he can have no contact with the three victims, whose names are withheld, or their families.
Cliatt is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with any person under the age of 16 years, unless related by blood or marriage, and with parents’ informed consent. He was required by the court to resign from publicly elected office by July 1.
Furthermore, the documents stated that Cliatt will undergo evaluation and treatment as part of a psycho-sexual examination at a state- or court-approved provider at his own expense. He may also be placed under a curfew.
It was announced by Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Patrick E. Morgan in September 2024 that Cliatt was under investigation. No arrests were made at that time, and Cliatt has continued to serve as a county commissioner. As of June 16, Cliatt’s listing as commissioner was removed from the county website, with the site stating a new commissioner will be appointed for District 3.
No further details were made available on the case.