This is the true story of a woman who prevailed against the most heinous accusations imaginable.
Tonya Craft, a Georgia kindergarten teacher and loving mother of two, never expected a knock on her door to change her life forever. But in May 2008, false accusations of child molestation turned her world upside down. The trial that followed dragged her reputation through the mud and lent nationwide notoriety to her name.
Tonya's life spiraled into a witch-trial nightmare in which she was deemed guilty before her innocence could be determined by a jury. Her children were taken away without even a goodbye, and her own daughter was forced to take the stand against her in a courtroom. The situation seemed hopeless, and Tonya was shell-shocked and heartbroken. But that didn't keep her from finding the strength to fight.
Over the course of two terrifying years, Tonya rallied to take charge of her own defense, flying across the country and knocking on doors on a desperate quest for answers, and defying her own lawyers on more than one occasion. Tonya's goal was not only to avoid conviction; it was to clear her name, and, most of all, regain custody of her children.
Accused is about more than Tonya's shocking trial and fight for justice. It is the story of a mother's extraordinary love, the faith that sees her through it all, and the forgiveness that sets her free.
Author Biography:
Tonya Craft was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by two wonderful parents. Immediately following high school, Tonya attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with the desire to become an educator. Tonya obtained her Bachelor of Science in Education and began teaching at the middle school level, but soon found her niche with elementary students. Soon, Tonya faced life as a single mother and created a personal training business and took a position as a literacy trainer with UT Chattanooga. As a single mother, she worked and went to school full-time, graduating with a Master's Degree in Education with a reading and literacy specialization. She soon began teaching kindergarten in Northern Georgia. In May of 2008, however, Tonya's life would change forever. Falsely accused of child molestation she lost her home, her career, her reputation, her financial stability, and most importantly, her two children. Years of struggling with the judicial system educated Tonya more than any textbook, professor, or seminar ever could. She eventually won her court case, acquitted on all 22 counts. Since then, Tonya has served as a consultant on a variety of child molestation cases. She is pursuing a law degree and is committed to helping others trapped in similar situations. She lives near Chattanooga with her two children. Mark Dagostino is a New York Times bestselling co-author and former Senior Writer for People Magazine. As a news reporter, Mark was on the scene when JFK Jr.'s plane went down, reported from Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11, and stood witness as survivors came ashore during the Miracle on the Hudson. Mark also cut his teeth in the courtroom, covering trials ranging from the Pamela Smart case in his home state of New Hampshire (while he was in college), to Rosie O'Donnell's $100-million lawsuit with publisher Gruner+Jahr. He also became one of the most-respected celebrity journalists in the business, scoring hundreds of personal interviews with the biggest names in Hollywood, including Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Whoopi Goldberg, Christopher Reeve, and Michael J. Fox. He now lives a somewhat quieter life in New Hampshire with his family.
