ATHENS, Ga. — A former professor of Georgia’s oldest and most well-known public university has been sentenced to prison and will have to register as a sex offender following his recent conviction.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 39-year-old James Edward Monogan III, a former University of Georgia Professor, will spend 90 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release after a 2019 investigation uncovered hundreds of images of child pornography.

“Viewing child pornography is a direct assault against the very children who are being exploited on film,” acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said. “We will prosecute individuals engaging in this deviant criminal behavior, and we thank our law enforcement partners for their hard work and vigilance.”

The charges stem from a February 2019 investigation into two Kik Messenger accounts tied to the distribution of child pornography – both of which were found to belong to Monogan.

In September of that year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Athens-Clarke County Police executed a search warrant of Monogan’s home and UGA office.  The search led to the seizure of several electronic devices.

A forensic search of his university laptop later uncovered more than 450 images of child pornography as well as eight videos. An additional 119 images were found on his cell phone. Investigators said some of the images involved minors under the age of 12.

According to the Department of Justice, Monogan also admitted to possessing the material.

“Taking Monogan off the streets means that his victims can start to heal, and he can no longer hurt our children or share those dreadful images and details with others,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama.

Berger added that the importance of the conviction was even more significant given Monogan’s position of “trust and responsibility” as a professor.

In addition to a sentence of more than seven years in prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender, Monogan will also owe more than $40,000 in fines.

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office says it has a new app that will allow users to receive alerts, submit crime tips, see registered sex offenders in the area and more.

A release said the app will “serve as a new way for the sheriff’s office to connect with Clayton County residents and visitors, providing information quickly and efficiently to anyone with a smartphone.”

According to the sheriff’s office, its features will allow the public to:

“Technology is evolving, and we are, too,” Sheriff Victor Hill said in a statement. “With advances in technology, it’s critical that we continue to keep up in order to stay connected with our communities and our citizens. This mobile app serves as a great way to be transparent and keep our people informed of the things we are doing in the county. We’re excited to offer this solution to the people of Clayton County.”

ATLANTA — New year, new you – and new Georgia laws.

On Jan. 1, several bills signed by Gov. Brian Kemp during the 2019-20 legislative session will take effect.

Among them is the controversial “Police Hate Crimes Bill,” signed in response to a broader hate crimes bill passed after the murder of Ahmaud Arbery – a Black jogger shot and killed while being pursued by a white father-son duo in south Georgia.

There are several other bills designed to protect consumers – including the “Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act,” and a bill that would regulate some automatic renewals for some contract services.

From surprise medical billing to designating an official state grape, here are some of the laws that take effect in the new year.

This bill would require physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to submit to an FBI background check through the Georgia Crime Information Center in order to be licensed in the state.

The bill would change the name of the Office of Public Safety Officer Support within the state Department of Public Safety to the Office of Public Safety Support.

However, during the summer, it also became known as the “Police Hate Crimes Bill,” as anyone found to “intimidate, harass or terrorize” a police officer, because they are a police officer, would be guilty of a bias-motivated crime – i.e. a hate crime.

Also called the Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act, this bill would provide for certain consumer protections against surprise billing. It would also establish methods to resolve payment disputes between insurers and out-of-network providers and an arbitration process.

It would allow military spouses licensed in other states to practice certain professions and occupations and obtain a license to practice in this state.

Would revise the information required to be provided by sexual offenders when they register in order to allow a sexual offender who is in a state or privately operated hospice facility, skilled nursing home, or residential health care facility to satisfy the annual registration requirements by registering at any time during the sexual offender’s month of birth and to remove the requirement that a sexual offender in those facilities be fingerprinted – with the approval of the sheriff of the county where the offender lives.

This bill pertains to Georgia’s booming film and entertainment industry and would move certain sound recordings from “qualified production activities” to production expenditures.

This bill pertains to automatic renewals and would provide additional protections for consumers who enter into contracts that “contain lengthy automatic renewal provisions.”

Also called Lacee’s Law, the bill would provide coverage under the state health benefits plan for additional screening to individuals at high risk of breast cancer.

Another bill related to medical billing would prohibit certain insurers from imposing a copayment, coinsurance, or office visit charge greater than charges for physician or osteopath services to an insured person for services rendered by a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or chiropractor.

This bill would restrict some criminal histories and arrest information after a certain time period if “conditions are met since a conviction.”

This bill would remove “redundant” processes involving the removal of “unattended vessels” in public waters.

SB 310 would set up certain regulations related to boxing, wrestling, and martial art associations and federations.

The bill would revise the definition, require continuing education, and outline unlawful practices, among other things. It would also provide the issuance of certificates of registration to professionals.

This bill would allow for the re-employment, training, and compensation of retired peace officers and correctional officers during disasters and emergencies.

The bill would designate the muscadine grape as the “official state grape.”

This bill would allow for state investment in railways and railroad facilities and equipment.

The Senate bill would revise garnishment proceedings. It would provide for “uniform procedures” for garnishment actions, provide definitions, and limit the maximum part of disposable earnings subject to garnishment in relation to certain educational or student loans.

ATHENS, Ga. — An ex-University of Georgia professor who admitted to possessing hundreds of images of child pornography entered a guilty plea in federal court on Tuesday, according to Peter D. Leary, the acting US Attorney for Georgia’s middle district.

Leary said 39-year-old James Edward Monogan III of Athens pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography before US District Court Judge C. Ashley Royal. Monogan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, followed by a maximum lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He will also have to register as a sex offender.

A sentencing date for Monogan has not yet been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal penal system.

“Monogan actively participated in the evil world of child pornography and brazenly engaged in his criminal behavior using a computer belonging to his employer. He will spend many years inside a federal prison for his crime, ” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leary. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for tirelessly working to protect the most vulnerable members of our society and holding child sex offenders accountable.”

According to his plea agreement, Homeland Security Investigations‘ Atlanta Office received information in 2019 that a user of the KIK Messenger app had distributed child pornography in February 2019. HSI-Atlanta learned of a second child pornography complaint for a second KIK user.

Investigators determined that both usernames belonged to Monogan.

In addition, Monogan’s office at UGA was also searched, Leary said.

A forensic review of Monogan’s devices determined that a total of 452 images and eight videos depicting child sexual exploitation were found on his UGA laptop, along with an additional 119 images of child sexual exploitation on his cell phone. Some images involved minors under the age of 12, the evidence indicated.

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

MACON, Ga. — More than 80 people in Georgia have been arrested in connection with a nationwide operation that targeted suspected online child sex offenders.

On Tuesday, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force announced the results of its participation in Operation ‘Broken Heart.’

A total of 1,700 suspected offenders were arrested between the months of April and May 2019 – and 81 were in Georgia.

Throughout Operation Broken Heart, 61 task forces across America investigated more than 18,500 complaints of crimes targeting children helped by technology.

They also gave more than 2,150 presentations on internet safety to 201,000 kids and adults.

The US Department of Justice says 308 of the 1,700 arrests are suspected of producing child porn or sexual abuse. Additionally, they found 357 kids who were victims of that abuse or were used in the child porn.

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ATLANTA — A sex offender rights group is accusing the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office of overstepping Georgia’s sex offender registration laws.

NARSOL Executive Director Brenda Jones, in the letter, writes the requirements the sheriff’s office is imposing are considered harassment. The letter includes four specific claims against the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

Second, deputies are accused of leaving cards demanding registrants call or face arrest, in excess of required sex offender renewal requirements.

“You do not have any authority to arrest a person who chooses not to call,” the letter states. “Registrants are not required to call the sheriff’s office simply because a deputy would like to have them do so.”

Third, deputies are described in the letter as knocking on doors and demanding to speak with registrants “outside of reasonable hours” and beyond what state law details.

Fourth, sex offender list registrants are also claiming when renewing or updating their information, the sheriff’s office is requiring them to write down their work hours – a requirement not listed in state law.

In the letter, Jones writes that NARSOL recognizes the sheriff’s duty to enforce sex offender registration laws, but adds, “those statutory requirements have no provision for a sheriff to impose his/her own additional obligations rather than enforcing only the legal obligations required of a sex offender.”

Jones said that her organization is asking the sheriff’s office to respond to the claims in the letter within 30 days to “avoid costly litigation.”

But one legal expert 11Alive spoke to said the actions of sheriff’s deputies may be perfectly legal.

According to criminal defense attorney Chelsea Thomas, who is familiar with Georgia’s requirements for registered sex offenders, if a sex offender is currently under a probation order, they may have specific requirements they must follow that go beyond the requirements for a registered offender who has completed their sentence. That could include having to check-in more regularly with local law enforcement and having to give additional information about their employment.

11Alive has reached out to the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office to discuss the claims made in the letter from NARSOL.

“After an internal review of our policies and procedures and also a discussion with the Georgia Sheriff’s Association, we believe the accusations contained in the cease and desist request to be without merit,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “It is the mandated duty and responsibility of all sheriffs to keep the public informed of sex offenders in their jurisdictions.

“In an abundance of caution we will request a legal opinion from county attorneys to insure that we are applying the laws correctly but also protecting and informing the law abiding citizens of Cobb County.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

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ATLANTA — A federal judge has issued a ruling favoring – in part – three registered sex offenders who sued the Butts County Sheriff, calling the “no trick-or-treat” signs the sheriff placed in their yards an abuse of power.

Last year, Butts County Sheriff Gary Long had deputies place the signs in the yards of the registered sex offenders in the days leading up to Halloween, alerting parents and trick-or-treaters that they should avoid those homes.

“My office took precautions and placed signs indicating ‘No Trick-or-Treat’ at each registered sex offender’s residence in the County,” Sheriff Long said. “This was done to ensure the safety of our children.”

Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property. But several of the sex offenders objected to the signs, saying it made them a target and was an overreach by the sheriff. Three of those offenders ended up filing suit, arguing that the yard signs went too far – breaking the law in the name of enforcing the law.

“State law does require him to notify the public in very specific ways, and none of those ways includes placing signs on registrants’ lawns,” explained Mark Yurachek, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.

According to the lawsuit, the offenders questioned whether the sheriff “exceeded his authority” in putting up the signs and whether deputies trespassed on their properties in doing so. The suit also says the deputies’ actions caused harm, including “anxiety, embarrassment and humiliation,” and damaged their ability to trust law enforcement. They sought a jury trial and damages.

A federal judge heard arguments in court last week and handed back the decision, Tuesday.

“The question the Court must answer is not whether Sheriff Long’s plan is wise or moral, or whether it makes penological sense. Rather, the question is whether Sheriff Long’s plan runs afoul of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It does,” the ruling states.

In the ruling, the judge granted the named plaintiffs’ motion to prevent the sheriff’s office from posting the signs in the named plaintiffs’ yards. However, the judge declined to offer damages. The court also declined to enter into a sweeping injunction in favor of all registered sex offender, but warned the sheriff’s office “should be aware that the authority for their blanket sign posting is dubious at best and even more dubious if posted over the objection of registrants.”

The court continued, saying that the ruling does not limit the sheriff’s discretion “to act on specific information suggesting a risk to public safety. But he cannot post the signs over the named Plaintiffs’ objections simply because their names are on the registry.”

In a statement to 11Alive following the judge’s ruling, Yurachek, the attorney, said his clients were “thankful” to the court’s “thoughtful and measured decision.”

“There is a long way to go in this action and, although we decline further comment specifically addressing the litigation, we are hopeful that this decision indicates that, as with this preliminary issue, we will prevail in the permanent injunction action and the lawsuit in general,” the statement continued. “We hope for and wish that every child in Butts County and in every community in the country enjoys a joyful and safe Halloween and note, as the Court’s opinion did, that the lack of signs in front of registrants’ homes will not affect either their joy or their safety this year or any other year.”

He added that he would hope the ruling gives the sheriff “pause about putting up signs this Halloween or in the future.”

11Alive reached out the sheriff’s office for a comment on the ruling. They posted a response on their Facebook page saying they will continue to fight the lawsuit, but will not put up any yard signs while the suit is pending.

“The judge in this matter has ruled that I can NOT put signs on the right-of-way of the three offenders that filed the lawsuit. While I respectfully and strongly disagree with the judge’s ruling, I must abide by the ruling,” the sheriff said.

The sheriff added that he sought advice from the Prosecuting Attorneys Council in 2018 before deputies placed the signs, who gave specific instructions on how to place them in compliance with Georgia Law.

In lieu of the signs, the sheriff said he will keep a “very strong presence” in the neighborhoods where there are known sex offenders. He also added that while some may be disappointed with the ruling, he strongly encouraged they “NOT take matters into your own hands this Halloween.”

“We understand frustration with the Judge’s ruling, but we all must abide by it unless it is overturned on appeal. Unfortunately, there is no time to appeal before this Halloween,” the sheriff said. “My promise to the citizens of Butts County is to protect the public, especially the children.”

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MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Authorities say he murdered a 77-year-old man with a sword in south Florida before escaping to New York – and then getting caught.

Now, 32-year-old Nicholas Brent Gibson, a registered sex offender with ties to Cobb County, is claiming this is far from his first time killing.

The Miami Herald reports Gibson is the prime suspect in the grisly murder of 77-year-old Erik Stocker whose decomposing, mutilated corpse was found in Miami Beach 10 days after investigators believe he was killed.

Gibson was later spotted in New York and taken into custody by transit police as he awaits extradition back to Florida. But his history in jails and prisons begins much earlier.

The Herald reports Gibson was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in Illinois as a juvenile in 2000 and spent 7 years in a juvenile prison having been placed on the sex offender registry at that time.

Months later, he was allegedly picked up in Pennsylvania on several sexual assault charges and spent another four years, six months behind bars.

Three months later, Gibson ended up in Cobb County, Georgia where state records show he spent more time behind bars at Dooly State Prison.

The Herald reports he skipped bond and disappeared before resurfacing in Miami Beach in 2013, facing arrests for trespassing and failure to register once again. He ended up being sent back to Georgia where he did two more years of prison after failing to register as a sex offender again.

He ended up back in Florida and eventually back in prison before being released again in late 2018. Less than a year later, he’s now accused in Stocker’s death.

It was during his most recent arrest that police said he admitted that there were more murders in his troubled history – six across Florida, Georgia, and California. But authorities are still trying to determine if this is true.

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PICKENS COUNTY, Ga. — School officials in north Georgia say a man who entered an elementary school Friday morning was a registered sex offender.

Officials said that around 9 a.m., a man gained access to Tate Elementary School in Pickens County and was in the building for about 5 minutes before being confronted by personnel.

According to a spokesperson for the Pickens County School District, he was then escorted to the front office.

After checking his identification and running his information, they learned that the man, later identified by the school resource officer as 57-year-old Bruce Lee Daniell of Dawsonville, is a registered sex offender.

State records provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation suggest that Daniell was arrested for being a “Peeping Tom” in 2004.

“Due to the upgraded security camera system, district staff can confirm that the subject had no direct interactions with students,” the school district said in a letter to parents that was also shared online.

However, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office said he entered a restroom and remained there for about 2 minutes, during which time four students came in as well. Investigators said Daniell never attempted to contact them and, after the fourth student entered, he walked into the hallway where he was found by staff members. Authorities said he claimed to be looking for employment.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office soon opened an investigation and issued warrants for Daniell’s arrest on charges of felony restrictions for sexual offenders and burglary. He was arrested at his home in Dawson County.

The sheriff’s office later added that Daniell first tried to enter a locked door at the front of the school but then moved to the east entrance where he found a door that wasn’t closed all the way.

“We want to assure all parents and our community that we take these situations seriously,” officials said in their letter. “We must all work together as a community of students, parents and school personnel to keep our campuses safe.”

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GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Nearly 30 sex offenders are missing and unaccounted for in Gwinnett County and the sheriff is working to locate them.

This is a very alarming situation for deputies as well as the sex crime victims that could be connected to these cases.

Right now, the sheriff’s office says there are about 700 registered sex offenders, 535 hundred of them are living in the county while the other 121 are behind bars.

But, there are about 30 unaccounted for, and that number has fluctuated throughout the day.

Unaccounted for means they either failed to check in at the proper time — or when deputies went to check the address they listed in the registry, they didn’t find the offender living there.

Deputy Shannon Volkodav, a spokeswoman with the sheriff’s office, says it’s because of the due diligence of deputies that they are aware of this.

“In 2019 so far, they have conducted 2,900 verification checks – which means they are actually out in the community, knocking on doors, verifying that these registered sex offenders are living at the addresses they have provided us,” Volkodav said.

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If you see any of the people or know their whereabouts, contact the sheriff’s office at 770-619-6808.

You can also sign up for the sex offender registry that the department maintains. It’s a service that lets residents know if a registered sex offender moves into your neighborhood.

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