Holly Springs man sentenced for sexual exploitation of children
All Peacock
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - Allen Joseph Peacock, 55, of Holly Springs, has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, according to Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway.
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The charges stem from a 2022 investigation that began when an individual close to Peacock alerted law enforcement after discovering Snapchat messages in which Peacock communicated with someone online about his sexual interest in minors. Law enforcement then conducted a search and found sexually explicit pictures and videos of unidentified children on Peacock's cell phone, which he had obtained from the internet. Additionally, illegal drugs, later identified as THC, were found in his home.
Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hines, of the Special Victims Unit, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State, stated, "While there was no evidence of Mr. Peacock committing acts of abuse against children, the evidence was clear that the defendant has a deviant sexual interest in children. The harmful and perverse images and videos on his electronics allowed us to prosecute this individual before he could act out his deviant fantasies further."
During the plea hearing, Superior Court Judge Tony Baker sentenced Peacock to 20 years, with the first 5 years to serve in prison and the balance to serve on probation under sex offender special conditions. These conditions include no contact with any minors under the age of 18 and sex offender registration upon his release from prison.
The case was investigated by the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, Holly Springs Police, and Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad and prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hines, of the Special Victims Unit, Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office.