Lawsuit: First Baptist Canton 'Enabled' Sexual Abuse - Canton Patch

First Baptist Canton allowed a fired employee with a history of sexual misconduct against children to return to the church as a volunteer, a misstep that led to the sexual battery of a teenage boy, the parents of the victim allege in a civil suit.

The boy's parents are suing the church, senior pastor George Anderson and former church employee Shawn Finch, alleging that they not only failed to properly supervise the volunteer and the children in their care, but tried to "downplay" the abuse in a meeting at the church.

A Cherokee County grand jury in April 2011 indicted the volunteer, 29-year-old Matthew Brent Sheffield of Canton, in the June 2010 sexual battery of the boy, who was 14 years old at the time. Sheffield faces two felony counts of child molestation. See Canton-Sixes Patch for more on this story.

Man Drowns in Lake Lanier - Cumming Patch

A 25-year-old man from nearby Gainesville reportedly drowned in Lake Lanier at Bolling Mill on Monday afternoon.

According to Melissa Cummings, public affairs coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources, Spencer Obe Dye, 25, of Gainesville, got into trouble in the water. A friend pulled him out and attempted CPR but was unsuccessful. Cummings said Dye was pronounced dead at 5:55 p.m. See Cumming Patch for more on this story.

Man Expected to Plead Guilty in Beating Girlfriend With Dead Dog - Sandy Springs Patch

A Sandy Springs man accused of killing his girlfriend’s pet Pomeranian and then using the dead animal as a weapon to beat the woman is expected to enter a guilty plea on Thursday morning, a statement from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office said.

Emmanuel Alfredo Tadeo is charged with Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Animal Cruelty, Animal Cruelty and Battery in the May 19 incident.

The victim was allegedly kicked and beaten by Tadeo during an argument at her Roswell Road apartment. See Sandy Springs Patch for more on this story.