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Investigation started: November, 2021
Originated from: Complaint
Lead Agency: Coweta County Sheriff’s Office
State & County: Georgia, Coweta County
Assisting Agencies: Coweta County Sheriff’s Office
Booking Agency: Coweta County Sheriff’s Office
Booked / Released: June 23, 2025 /
Charges:
Investigation Summary
In 2020 a minor female made allegations to law enforcement regarding inappropriate sexual conduct between herself and Matthew Ryan Morgan, a male to whom she was related. The allegations identified multiple incidents that occurred at a location within Coweta County and spanned multiple years while the victim was ages 14 to 17.
Law Enforcement, as well as the District Attorney’s Office investigated the allegations. This investigation led the DA’s Office to bring the allegations before a Grand Jury and on October 5, 2021, the Grand Jury returned an indictment with the following felony counts:
As a result of the indictment the Court issued an Arrest Order on October 7, 2021, for Morgan’s Arrest. Weeks later, on November 12, 2021, Morgan would be arrested and booked on the 10 counts above and held without bond.
Bond
Morgan’s lawyers would quickly Motion the Court for bond on November 17, 2021, with the Court denying it after hearing arguments from both sides.
On February 22, 2022, the Defense would again Motion the Court for bond which was granted. The Court set Morgan’s bond at $100,000 and set conditions that included: the use of a GPS ankle monitor at his cost, not having access to firearms, reporting to all court dates, not leaving Georgia, no contact with the victim or witnesses in the case, being restricted to his residence expect for court and medical related exceptions, and not being in contact with any child under the age of 16 that isn’t his biological child ( he had 4 minor children at the time ), or that normally resided at the residence.
On February 25, 2022, Morgan was released from the Coweta County Jail.
Multiple times over the course of the case Morgan’s lawyers would Motion the Court for modifications in the bond conditions for things from changing restrictions to allow for him to go to work, leave the state for work, and to travel to Franklin to help care for his sick mother. Many of these Motions were granted in whole or in part by the Court.
Issues with the Indictment(s)
Shortly after the initial indictment was returned on October 5, 2021, the Defense noticed issues with the indictment and the counts within it. On November 16, 2021, the Defense filed a special demurrer to the indictment.
A special demurrer to the indictment is a legal motion filed by a defendant in a criminal case, specifically challenging the form or specificity of the indictment. It argues that the indictment lacks sufficient detail to adequately inform the defendant of the charges against them, thus hindering their ability to prepare a proper defense.
In this first demurrer, the Defense argued that the dates which the alleged crimes occurred, January 1, 2015, through November 23, 2016, in counts 1 through 7, and January 1, 2015, and December 23, 2017, were too broad and lacked sufficient specificity. They would file an amended special demurrer to the indictment on February 22, 2022, after it was found that several counts listed the incorrect last name for the victim.
In response to the February 22, 2022, amended demurrer, the DA’s Office corrected the victims’ name in the affected counts and again brought it before a Grand Jury who on May 3, 2022, returned a new indictment on all 10 counts. This resulted in the original case being transferred to a new Superior Court case number. This second indictment failed to address the issues stated in the original November 16, 2021, demurrer regarding the specificity of the dates alleged in the counts.
As a result, on June 3, 2022, the Defense filed a second amended special demurrer to the indictment again arguing the lack of sufficient specificity in the dates within the indictment’s counts.
Facing the need to either tighten the dates or having to provide the Court with sufficient evidence as to why that wasn’t possible, the DA’s office again updated the allegations and brought them before a Grand Jury.
However, this time they dropped what had been Count 2 – Statutory Rape from the allegations, updating the dates of January 1, 2015, being changed to May 29, 2015, in all 9 remaining counts. This again resulted in a new Superior Court case being filed and the proceedings of the previous two cases being transferred to it. This would be the final indictment with the Defense choosing not to file another demurrer.
Defense Fights State’s Motion to Exclude Evidence
In the November 17, 2021, hearing before Judge W. Travis Sakrison regarding Morgan’s Motion for bond, it came out that victim in the case had taken a polygraph test as part of the investigation. There was some debate at that time regarding its evidentiary value in deciding Bond with Assistant District Attorney Jillian Brasfield arguing it’s immiscibility at all. It was tabled in that hearing, however on April 13, 2023, the State filed a Motion to Exclude Evidence regarding the victim’s polygraph during a hearing being presided over by Senior Judge Tommy R. Hankison. On April 25, 2023, Judge Hankison ordered that the polygraph was to be excluded.
On May 22, 2023, the Defense filed a Petition for Certificate of Immediate Review with the Court to appeal Judge Hankison’s April 25 ruling. On July 5, 2023, the Court denied the Defense’s Petition stating that they’d failed to file it in time. The law requires the Petition be filed within 10 days of the ruling. On August 28, 2023, the Defense filed a Petition to Reconsider their Petition for Certificate of Immediate Review, again challenging the Courts order denying their appeal. On October 13, 2023, the Court again denied the Defenses Petition, reaffirming the fact they failed to file the original Petition in time.
On December 5, 2023, the Defense filed a Motion to Set Aside Order Denying Defendants Petition for Certificate of Immediate Review, arguing that because the hearing had been presided over by Senior Judge Hankison and not the assigned trial Judge W. Travis Sakrison that Hankison’s Order should be set aside and that the decision should be made by Sakrison instead. It’s not clear who or what the decision regarding this Motion was as no corresponding order appears in the case proceedings.
On June 23, 2025 the case would at last come to and end with Morgan taking an Alford Plea.
Case Information
Court: Coweta County Superior Court
Case #: SUR2022000588
Filing Date: December 2, 2022
Charging Instrument: Indictment
Originally Morgan was indicted on October 5, 2021, under Superior Court Case SUR2021000937.
On May 3, 2022, Morgan was re-indicted under Superior Court Case SUR2022000214. This indictment corrected errors regarding the victim’s name in certain counts of the original indictment.
Morgan was again re-indicted on December 1, 2022, under Superior Court Case SUR2022000588. This indictment, in response to multiple special demurrer Motions by the Defense, dropped what had been Count 2 – Statutory Rape and changed the dates of the alleged crimes in each remaining count.
Dispoisition
Disposition Date: 06/23/2025
Disposition: Alford Plea
To Serve: 5 years
Probation: 25 years
Time Credited: 3 months, 1 week, 6 days
Probation Details
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Disposition Summary
On June 23, 2025, after nearly 5 years of investigation and court proceedings, Matthew Ryan Morgan entered an Alford Plea of guilty to 3 of 10 counts charged in the indictment.
The plea deal saw Morgan plead guilty on the following counts:
– Count 7 – Sexual Exploitation of Children ( O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100(b) )
– Count 8 – Sexual Exploitation of Children ( O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100(b) )
– Count 9 – Sexual Exploitation of Children ( O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100(b) )
While the Prosecution agreed to enter an order of Nolle Pros on the following counts:
– Count 1 – Aggravated Child Molestation ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4(c) )
– Count 2 – Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5 )
– Count 3 – Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5 )
– Count 4 – Child Molestation ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4(a) )
– Count 5 – Child Molestation ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4(a) )
– Count 6 – Aggravated Sexual Battery ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-22.2 )
Sentencing
As agreed to in the plea deal, Morgan was sentenced by the court to the following:
– Count 7 – 20 years, 5 years to serve in confinement.
– Count 8 – 10 years probation, consecutive ( directly following ) with Count 7.
– Count 9 – 20 years, 5 years to serve in confinement, concurrent ( at the same time as ) with Count 7.
– Credit for time served: 3 months, 2 weeks, 2 days total. 11/12/21 through 2/24/22 ( 3 months, 1 week, 6 days ) & 8/22/22 through 8/25/22 ( 3 Days ).
In total Morgan will serve:
– 4 years, 8 months, 1 week, 2 days in prison, adjusted for credited time-served, with a max expected release date of March 4, 2030.
– 25 years on probation or roughly through June 23, 2055.
Conditions of Probation
The following conditions were placed on Morgan’s term of probation.
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– General Conditions of Probation
– Special Conditions of Probation; Against Minor or Dangerous Sexual Offense
– Special Conditions of Probation; Sex Offender
– Concealed Weapons Permit Notice
Counts
Count 1 – Aggravated Child Molestation ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4(c) )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Aggravated Child Molestation (O.C.G.A.16-6-4(c)) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of November, 2016, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did commit an immoral and indecent act to [ REDACTED ] a child under the age of 16 years, involving the sexual organs of the accused and the mouth of said child, with the intent to arouse and satisfy the sexual desires of himself by placing the penis of the accused in and on the mouth of said child, said act involving an act of sodomy, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Nolle Pros
Sentence: Nolle Pros as part of plea deal.
Count 2 – Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5 )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes (O.C.G.A. 16-6-5) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of November, 2016, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did unlawfully solicit and entice [ REDACTED ] a child under the age of sixteen years, to a barn and shed located on the property of [ REDACTED ] for the purpose of child molestation and for the purpose of sexual exploitation of a child, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Nolle Pros
Sentence: Nolle Pros as part of plea deal.
Count 3 – Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5 )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes (O.C.G.A. 16-6-5) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of November, 2016, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did unlawfully solicit and entice [ REDACTED ] a child under the age of sixteen years, to the bedroom of the accused at a residence located at [ REDACTED ], for the purpose of child molestation, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Nolle Pros
Sentence: Nolle Pros as part of plea deal.
Count 4 – Child Molestation ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4(a) )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Child Molestation (O.C.G.A. 16-6-4(a)) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of November, 2016, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did commit an immoral and indecent act to [ REDACTED ] a child under the age of 16 years, with the intent to arouse and satisfy the sexual desires of himself by touching the vagina of said child with the hand of the accused, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Nolle Pros
Sentence: Nolle Pros as part of plea deal.
Count 5 – Child Molestation ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4(a) )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Child Molestation (O.C.G.A. 16-6-4(a)) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of November, 2016, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did commit an immoral and indecent act to [ REDACTED ] a child under the age of 16 years, with the intent to arouse and satisfy the sexual desires of himself by touching the vagina of said child with the hand of the accused, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Nolle Pros
Sentence: Nolle Pros as part of plea deal.
Count 6 – Aggravated Sexual Battery ( O.C.G.A. § 16-6-22.2 )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Aggravated Sexual Battery (O.C.G.A. 16-6-22.2) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of December, 2017, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did intentionally penetrate the sexual organ of [ REDACTED ] with the finger of the accused, a foreign object, without the consent of said person, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Nolle Pros
Sentence: Nolle Pros as part of plea deal.
Count 7 – Sexual Exploitation of Children ( O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100(b) )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Sexual Exploitation of Children (O.C.G.A. 16-12-100(b)) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of December, 2017, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did knowingly use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce [ REDACTED ], a minor, to engage in a lewd exhibition of her genitals or pubic area, sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a digital image, a visual medium depicting such conduct, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Plea – Guilty
Sentence: 20 years, 5 years to serve.
Count 8 – Sexual Exploitation of Children ( O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100(b) )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Sexual Exploitation of Children (O.C.G.A. 16-12-100(b)) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of December, 2017, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did knowingly create a digital image, a visual medium depicting a minor engaged in a lewd exhibition of her genitals or pubic area, sexually explicit conduct, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Plea – Guilty
Sentence: 10 years probation, consecutive with Count 7.
Count 9 – Sexual Exploitation of Children ( O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100(b) )
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia, charge and accuse MATTHEW RYAN MORGAN with the offense of Sexual Exploitation of Children (O.C.G.A. 16-12-100(b)) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Coweta, between the 29th day of May, 2015, and the 23rd day of December, 2017, the exact date of the offense being unknown to the Grand Jury, did knowingly possess and control a digital image, material depicting a minor and a portion of a minor’s body engaged in a lewd exhibition of her genitals or pubic area, sexually explicit conduct, contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
Disposition: Plea – Guilty
Sentence: 20 years, 5 years to serve, concurrent with Count 7.
Updates
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