Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Rape of a Child

Shelby County, TN— Today, Phillip Cavitt, was sentenced to 25 years after being tried for Rape of a Child back in October 2023. The victim, a 6-year-old child, referred to Cavitt as "Dad," as he was the stepfather responsible for the victim's care during the mother's incarceration.

Following the mother's release, the victim disclosed the incidents to her, but, according to the victim, the mother purportedly ignored these claims.

After careful consideration of the evidence, the jury convicted Cavitt of the included offense of Aggravated Sexual Battery. Due to his prior criminal history, Cavitt was categorized as a Range 2 Multiple Offender.

Today, Judge Lee Coffee in CC7 handed down the maximum sentence—20 years at 100%. Furthermore, Judge Coffee found Cavitt in violation of probation on a previous conviction, leading to the revocation of a 5-year probation term.

The sentences for the current case and the probation violation are to be served consecutively, resulting in an effective sentence of 25 years.

This is not the only legal challenge facing Cavitt, as he faces another pending indictment for allegedly sexually assaulting his brother's girlfriend. The upcoming case is scheduled to proceed to trial or be resolved through a plea agreement.

Assistant District Attorney Gavin Smith served as lead prosecutor on the case— along with Tanisha Johnson, who assisted as second chair.