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Man arrested for child molestation
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Amber Pittman
Updated: Dec 31, 2010, 5:00 AM
Published: Dec 30, 2010, 9:27 PM

A 50-year-old Newton County man has been charged with child molestation, just six months after his arrest for family violence.

Frank Charles Amato was arrested in June after reportedly beating his 8-year-old niece and 6-year-old nephew, both of whom he had custody of at the time since the children’s father was incarcerated and their mother was not in their life.

According to Newton County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer 1st Lt. Mark Mitchell, authorities began investigating charges that Amato had molested an elementary-aged child.

Investigators arrested Amato on Dec. 22 and charged him with child molestation, aggravated child molestation and sexual battery. He is being held at the Newton County Detention Center without bond.
April 3 crash kills two young adults, injures third
Newton County Sheriff Car---WEB
Kate Verity
Published: Apr 4, 2025, 10:29 PM

NEWTON COUNTY — Around 10 a.m. on Thursday, a head-on collision on Highway 212 left two young adults dead and a third hospitalized.

Joe Navarro, 21, was driving the vehicle and Breanna Smith, 18, was in the passenger seat. Katie New, 20, sat between them.

According to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle lost control while going around a curve and crossed the centerline, where it collided head-on with a box truck. The crash report shows that their vehicle traveled another hundred feet after impact before coming to a stop. It spun, ended up facing the opposite direction on the shoulder of the opposite lane.

Navarro and Smith were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. New was airlifted to Grady Hospital. Her current condition is not known. 

Navarro, Smith and New were not believed to be wearing seatbelts when the collision occurred.

The driver of the box truck was not reported to have suffered any injuries.

This is an ongoing story. The News will post updates as they are made available.