Pam Little
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Anyone hear this? Sicko!
BREAKING NEWS: Coach arrested on sex charges
By Sharon Swanepoel
The Loganville Tribune
Published October 12, 2007
LOGANVILLE â€"œ A Brookwood Little League coach and Lawrenceville businessman was arrested at his Snellville home Friday on Internet sex charges.
Andrew Diass, 40, was arrested following a five-month online investigation by the Loganville Police Department Internet Predator Unit. Diass believed he was chatting with a 14-year old girl but it was in fact Sgt. Mike Westbrooks of the LPD Internet predator unit. Westbooks said on three occasions during the investigation Diass sent explicit pictures of himself over the Internet inappropriately touching himself. Late Friday afternoon Westbrooks obtained a search warrant from Gwinnett County to seize the computer from Diass’ home. He said it was his understanding Diass was married and had two small children.
Westbrooks said his experience with this type of crime is that the perpetrator thinks as long as they don’t actually travel to the home of the minor it is not a crime.
“They’ve seen the programs on television such as Dateline where the perpetrator is arrested when he gets to the house but they believe that as long as they don’t actually travel it isn’t a crime and they can’t be prosecuted. But that’s not so. (Walton County District Attorney) Ken Wynne is very serious about prosecuting anyone guilty of any Internet sex crime against children. He has been getting 20 years to serve three on all the cases he has prosecuted. None of the predators we have arrested so far have challenged it. They have all taken a plea deal.â€Â
Westbrooks said those who have already been sentenced are serving either three or five years for the offences. Diass is the 15th arrest for the unit. The creation of the Online Predator Investigation Unit began in June last year with a donation from the Loganville Wal-Mart. Efforts were bolstered the following month with additional funding through the federal Internet Crimes Against Children organization.
Diass, who was arrested by the LPD and taken to the Walton County Jail Friday, faces charges of sexual exploitation of children. Westbrooks said Diass would probably appear in a Walton County courtroom for a bond hearing early next week
BREAKING NEWS: Coach arrested on sex charges
By Sharon Swanepoel
The Loganville Tribune
Published October 12, 2007
LOGANVILLE â€"œ A Brookwood Little League coach and Lawrenceville businessman was arrested at his Snellville home Friday on Internet sex charges.
Andrew Diass, 40, was arrested following a five-month online investigation by the Loganville Police Department Internet Predator Unit. Diass believed he was chatting with a 14-year old girl but it was in fact Sgt. Mike Westbrooks of the LPD Internet predator unit. Westbooks said on three occasions during the investigation Diass sent explicit pictures of himself over the Internet inappropriately touching himself. Late Friday afternoon Westbrooks obtained a search warrant from Gwinnett County to seize the computer from Diass’ home. He said it was his understanding Diass was married and had two small children.
Westbrooks said his experience with this type of crime is that the perpetrator thinks as long as they don’t actually travel to the home of the minor it is not a crime.
“They’ve seen the programs on television such as Dateline where the perpetrator is arrested when he gets to the house but they believe that as long as they don’t actually travel it isn’t a crime and they can’t be prosecuted. But that’s not so. (Walton County District Attorney) Ken Wynne is very serious about prosecuting anyone guilty of any Internet sex crime against children. He has been getting 20 years to serve three on all the cases he has prosecuted. None of the predators we have arrested so far have challenged it. They have all taken a plea deal.â€Â
Westbrooks said those who have already been sentenced are serving either three or five years for the offences. Diass is the 15th arrest for the unit. The creation of the Online Predator Investigation Unit began in June last year with a donation from the Loganville Wal-Mart. Efforts were bolstered the following month with additional funding through the federal Internet Crimes Against Children organization.
Diass, who was arrested by the LPD and taken to the Walton County Jail Friday, faces charges of sexual exploitation of children. Westbrooks said Diass would probably appear in a Walton County courtroom for a bond hearing early next week
