Coweta County couple accused of giving alcohol to toddler at restaurant

Parents accused of giving toddler beer

Restaurant workers in Coweta County called 911 and reported a couple who they say was giving a small child beer and laughing about it.

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A Coweta County couple is facing criminal charges after restaurant workers called 911 to report they were giving alcohol to a one-year-old child and laughing about it.

What we know:

Coweta County deputies said surveillance footage from Old Chicago Pizza at Fischer Crossings captured the couple giving the toddler sips of beer on six separate occasions. Each time, the adults appeared to check that no one was watching before handing the child the drink and laughing afterward, according to investigators.

Deputies said the restaurant manager showed them the video, prompting them to approach the couple in the parking lot. When questioned, the child’s father, Craig Banks, denied being inside the bar.

Authorities said Banks, 34, of Hogansville, was the one handing the beer to the child, while the child’s mother, Paetyn Gregory, 30, of Newnan, held the infant and later placed the child in a high chair where the behavior continued.

Gregory later admitted to deputies that she had made "a dumb decision," according to the incident report.

What's next:

Both parents were arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Deputies said the child was turned over to a relative and the incident has been reported to the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services (DFACS).