53-year-old Douglasville man Evan Porter Smith, who was initially apprehended for online solicitation of a minor, is now facing a slate of graver charges including rape and child cruelty, as emerged from an ongoing investigation in Coweta County. Smith was first taken down by deputies in a break room at his workplace in March after he allegedly made contact online with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl—actually an undercover sex crimes investigator.

Investigations have since unveiled a darker reality, leading to additional accusations such as child sexual exploitation and more sex assault charges. "As the investigation continued after the initial arrest, additional information came forward, and the investigator was able to bring more charges to this individual," Sgt. Toby Nix disclosed to FOX 5 Atlanta. Smith's rapid progression from talking to attempting arranges an illicit meeting with a minor shocked law enforcement.

Sgt. Nix stressed the alarming celerity with which predators like Smith can move, saying, "In some instances, it can be months, and months, and months of grooming, but in instances like this, it was three-and-a-half hours. That’s how quickly these predators act," in a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. Smith's original charges included child molestation, sexual exploitation of minors, distributing obscene material, and tampering with evidence, the sheriff's office reported.

The Coweta County Sheriff's Office urges parents to remain vigilant of their children's online interactions, emphasizing the importance of monitoring their activities to prevent such dangers. "Within three-and-a-half hours of conversation on social media, the investigator had multiple felonies as well as the male trying to meet the next day in person," said Sgt. Nix, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Smith, who is employed in Coweta County but resident of Douglas County, exemplifies the swift nature of potential threats lurking online, officials warn.