A 63-year-old Meriwether County man is behind bars after investigators say he inappropriately touched a family member under the age of 13, in a case that jumped county lines before charges could be filed. Terry Prestridge was arrested at his home on September 17 and booked into the Troup County Jail on a felony child molestation charge.
The case didn't start in Troup County. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the allegations were first reported to the Meriwether County Sheriff's Office, but once investigators determined the alleged touching actually occurred in Troup County, officials referred the case to Troup County's Criminal Investigations Division. Deputies there took Prestridge into custody at his Meriwether County home and transported him to the Troup County Jail, where he was booked on September 17, per The Georgia Gazette.
That jurisdictional handoff isn't unusual — it's the law. Georgia Code § 17-2-2 requires that criminal cases be prosecuted in the county where the alleged offense actually took place, according to Justia Law, meaning agencies must transfer jurisdiction whenever a crime scene crosses county lines. Meriwether and Troup counties share close judicial circuit ties in West Georgia and routinely conduct cross-jurisdictional referrals like this one, per J. Ryan Brown Law.
What the Charge Carries Under Georgia Law
Troup County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Lt. Stewart Smith released a statement detailing the arrest and the ongoing investigation, per the same account from FOX 5 Atlanta. Investigators have not released additional details about the case, and the investigation remains active.
Under Georgia Code § 16-6-4, child molestation is defined as performing any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of a child under 16 with intent to arouse or satisfy sexual desires, according to Justia Law — meaning physical contact or penetration isn't strictly required to meet the legal threshold. A first-time conviction carries a mandatory state prison sentence of 5 to 20 years along with lifetime sex offender registration, according to Davis Madden & Associates. Subsequent convictions carry 10 to 30 years. Georgia law classifies the offense as a felony, with only a narrow misdemeanor exception for defendants 18 or younger who are no more than four years older than a victim aged 14 to 16 — a carve-out that doesn't apply to Prestridge given his age, per the Law Offices of J. Lee Webb.
Local Support System for Child Victims
Cases like this one typically move through a coordinated local response. Troup County handles child sexual abuse allegations through a multi-disciplinary system involving law enforcement, state child welfare officials, and the Children's Advocacy Center of Troup County, according to Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services. The center, established in 2002 under Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services in LaGrange, coordinates forensic interviews and victim advocacy across the Coweta Judicial Circuit.
The arrest also follows recent regional enforcement activity. In August, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested a former law enforcement officer in neighboring Coweta County on three counts of child molestation, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Hoodline has covered similar cases out of Troup County before, including a Hogansville child rape case.
Investigators say the public can help by calling 706-883-1616 with any information regarding the case or regarding Terry Prestridge. No further details about the family member involved or the timeline of the alleged abuse have been made public as the investigation continues.
