Former Kennesaw Mayor Ordered to Pay $10M in Child Sex Abuse Case

Leonard Church must pay $9.5M in compensatory and $500K in punitive damages to victim he abused over a decade ago.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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A former mayor of Kennesaw, Georgia has been ordered by a Cobb County judge to pay $10 million in damages to a man he sexually abused as a child more than a decade ago. Leonard Church, who served as mayor from 2000 to 2008, was arrested in 2014 on two counts of felony child molestation and later pleaded guilty, receiving an 18-year prison sentence.

Why it matters

This case highlights the lasting impact of child sexual abuse and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable, even years later. As a former mayor, Church was in a position of public trust, making the abuse even more egregious. The substantial financial penalty underscores the severity of his crimes.

The details

In 2014, detectives said a boy told his parents that Church made him look at pornographic material and then molested him. Church was a member of the Kennesaw City Council at the time of his arrest. He pleaded guilty the following year and was sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by 22 years on probation as a registered sex offender.

  • Church was arrested in June 2014 on two counts of felony child molestation.
  • Church pleaded guilty in 2015 and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

The players

Leonard Church

A former mayor of Kennesaw, Georgia who was convicted of sexually abusing a child more than a decade ago.

Cobb County State Court

The court that ordered Church to pay $10 million in damages to his victim.

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What’s next

Church remains in prison and will continue serving his 18-year sentence.

The takeaway

As a former public official, Church's abuse of power and betrayal of trust underscores the need for robust safeguards and oversight to protect vulnerable children from predatory adults in positions of authority.