Politics & Government

Marietta Man Sentenced After Undercover Teen Sex Sting

A Marietta man, who arranged to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sex in a Barrow County Park, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

James Christopher Redman, 52, of Marietta, who arranged to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sex in a Barrow County park, was sentenced Thursday by United States District Court Judge Richard W. Story, according to United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates Northern District of Georgia.

Redman was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He pleaded guilty to the charges on July 27, 2012, according to Yates.          

“Men like this defendant, who are willing to entice children and travel to meet them for a sexual encounter, present a serious danger to our community. This man not only engaged in sexually explicit communications with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but he actually traveled to have sex with the child. His lengthy sentence is well-deserved,” Yates said.

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“The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office will always remain vigilant when it comes to those who choose to prey on our children. The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit has and will continue to work hard to rid our communities of these predators,” said Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.

During a Barrow County Sheriff’s Office undercover investigation in June 2011, an investigator posing as a 14-year-old girl logged into a Georgia Internet chat room. While logged in, the investigator noticed an instant message from a person later identified as Redman, according to Yates and the charges and other information presented in court.

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Redman inquired as to whether the 14-year-old girl liked older men. He continued by asking sexually explicit questions and making lewd statements about proposed sexual acts with the girl. At one point, Redman initiated his webcam and posted a live, streaming video to the chat, which showed Redman naked and masturbating, according to Yates and the charges and other information presented in court.

During the chat session, Redman asked several times for the underage girl to meet him for sex. The two agreed to meet at a public park in Barrow County. A short time later, sheriff’s deputies observed Redman’s vehicle enter the park. He was positively identified and arrested, according to Yates and the charges and other information presented in court.  

This case was investigated by the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.

Assistant United States Attorney Brent Alan Gray prosecuted the case.


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