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Sharpsburg man jailed in undercover sex sting
A 24-year-old Sharpsburg man was sentenced to 20 years after attempting to meet an undercover Coweta County deputy he believed was a 12-year-old girl.
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A Sharpsburg man who thought he was meeting a 12-year-old girl for sex in 2023 will spend the next five years in prison.
Bodycam video from 2023 captured the moment when then-24-year-old Taylor Hannigan thought he was meeting a 12-year-old girl for sex. It turned out his online activity was actually with an undercover Coweta County sheriff’s deputy.
What we know:
In an update on the case, Hannigan pleaded guilty in Coweta County Court and was sentenced to 20 years. He will serve the first five years behind bars.
"He talked about the things he wanted to do with her and to meet her and actually made arrangements to meet who he thought was a 12-year-old girl and to engage in sexual intercourse with that person and was arrested by law enforcement when he showed up to the prearranged location," said Coweta County Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney Lara Todd.
What they're saying:
The prosecutor says Hannigan’s arrest and conviction strongly underscore the importance of parental vigilance.
"A lot of parents don't recognize that gaming systems, anything that allows them to get on the internet and talk with other people is a hot spot and is a danger zone for predators to get online," Todd said. "So, I think one highlights the need for parents to be really vigilant about knowing what their children are doing online."
Todd also emphasized the necessity of proactive police work in preventing lifelong trauma to real victims.
"Conversely, I think it really underscores the importance of law enforcement doing these kinds of investigations and using undercover agents that are acting as children to try to identify these individuals and get them into custody before they can make contact with an actual child," Todd explained. "Before they can do the damage and the trauma to an actual child. Better to catch them on the front end, um, when they're not dealing with a child. But there's so many that, you know, do meet with children and that damage is lifelong. And so I think it's important."
The Source: The details in the article were provided by Coweta County Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney Lara Todd, who spoke regarding the case and the importance of parental vigilance. The primary sources of information included Coweta County Court records, official prosecutorial statements, and bodycam video captured by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.