A 35-year-old Barnesville man is being held in the Lamar County jail on a $10,000 bond after being caught up in a video sting at the Griffin Walmart where he allegedly planned to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old boy for sex. James Thomas Crews of 205 Georgia Ave., Apt 4 was charged with one count of enticing a child for indecent purposes by LCSO investigator Kathryn Knapp Monday. His bond was set at a hearing before chief magistrate Karen Jackson Wednesday morning. ******************** NOTICE: This story and photo(s) are under copyright. They may not be republished or disseminated in any form or format – including social media – without explicit permission. ********************* An online watchdog group baited Crews into the meet with ‘John’ then filmed him as he arrived at the agreed upon location – the hair color aisle at the Walmart. The video and an exchange of text messages were posted on Facebook but the social media giant later took the video down. It was learned Crews, who was formerly employed in the facilities department at Gordon State College, lived in Barnesville and Spalding sheriff Darrell Dix contacted sheriff Brad White for assistance. “We went to his apartment and brought him in. We got his phone and his computer. It turned out we found enough to charge him with enticement,’ sheriff White said Wednesday. Investigators are tight-lipped about what was found on the suspect’s electronics but that evidence will likely be crucial. Defense attorneys will most certainly challenge the authenticity and admissibility of the watchdog group’s video. For more on this story, see the 6.25.19 print edition of The Herald Gazette.
Be First to Comment