GA Man Gets 50 Years In Prison For Sex Crimes Against Women, Kids

An 18-month investigation by the LaGrange Police Department, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the GBI revealed that Hogan Pendergraph’s crimes began as early as 2012 when he videotaped, photographed women he was dating without their permission.

An 18-month investigation by the LaGrange Police Department, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the GBI revealed that Hogan Pendergraph’s crimes began as early as 2012 when he videotaped, photographed women he was dating without their permission. (Shutterstock)

LAGRANGE, GA — A judge has sentenced a Georgia man to 50 years behind bars for sex crimes against women and children, according to authorities. The sentence comes after Hogan Pendergraph of LaGrange pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of racketeering, five counts of sexual exploitation of children, nine counts of invasion of privacy, one count of criminal trespass and one count of possession of eavesdropping devices.

According to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office, Pendergraph's crimes began as early as 2012 when he videotaped and photographed women he was dating without their knowledge or consent. The district attorney's office said he then uploaded the videos and photos to adult internet pornography websites in the United States and throughout the world.

Authorities said he created hundreds of email accounts and website accounts in the actual names of his victims, which also identified their occupations and their locations. He also created "deep fake" photos using non-nude photos from the social media accounts of friends and acquaintances and nude photos of other women he obtained from the internet. Prosecutors said these fake photos were uploaded using the names and identifying information of his victims. He hid video cameras in private and public bathrooms and videotaped men, women, and children using the bathroom, which he edited and uploaded to off-shore file-sharing websites. He acquired and distributed hundreds of child pornography videos and photos featuring the molestation of infants, toddlers, and minor children.

Following a thorough review of the evidence proving all of these crimes, Senior Assistant District Attorney David McLaughlin presented an 18-count indictment in August 2021 to the Troup County Grand Jury ."On and between March 18, 2016, and June 4, 2020, the accused engaged in an elaborate, systematic, and invasive scheme to acquire, maintain, and distribute thousands of obscene materials depicting children, men, and women in violation of State and federal laws. The accused's scheme was intended to satisfy the prurient interests of himself and others," Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Herb Cranford said in a news release.

"The accused's scheme was intended to sadistically exploit, harm, embarrass and exert the accused's control and dominion over his victims. The accused's scheme was intended to exalt himself through voyeuristic control over and sexualized exploitation of women and children," he continued.

Cranford said Pendergraph is also currently under indictment in Athens-Clarke County for rape and aggravated sodomy.