Girls coach from Rossville arrested on child sex charges

Published 10:39 am Thursday, May 14, 2009

A girls softball coach from Rossville has been arrested for attempting to have sex with a 12-year-old girl.

Charles Allen Casseday, 31, was arrested May 8 by the Northwest Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Casseday had been involved with a local youth athletic program as a coach for a 10-13-year-old girls softball team, said detective David Scroggins with the Rossville Police Department.

The task force consists of investigators from the FBI, Rossville Police Department, Dalton Police Department, Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department, Whitfield County Sheriff’s Department and the Dade County Sheriff’s Department.

According to Scroggins:

Investigators arrested Casseday at Rossville City Park after Casseday engaged a 12-year-old girl in explicit conversation and telephone text messages attempting to lure her to his residence for sex.

When the mother of the child discovered that her child had been communicating with Casseday, she reported the incident to the police.

Task force agents assumed the identity of the child and continued to communicate with the Casseday.

Casseday wrote in his communications of how he “loved the child and how they needed to be alone together.”

He spoke about having protection to prevent the child from becoming pregnant, indicating that he intended to have sex with her.

Through text messaging, Casseday coordinated a meeting to pick up the child at the Rossville City Park.

On May 8, Casseday drove to the park to pick up the 12-year-old, planning to take the child back to his residence.

When Casseday arrived at the park he sent a text message to the child telling her to meet with him.

He was taken into custody immediately after sending this message.

Casseday was charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes and criminal attempt to commit child molestation.

Scroggins asked if anyone believes that Casseday might have had in appropriate contact with a child, contact him at Rossville Police Department at 706.866.1227.