Joppa man pleads guilty to traveling to meet child for sex act

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala (WHNT) — The Marshall County District Attorney’s Office says a Joppa man has pleaded guilty to a charge of traveling to meet a child for a sex act.

According to Marshall County District Jennifer Bray, John Thomas Taylor III, 33 of Joppa, Alabama, pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday. She said that Taylor entered a blind plea meaning that the DA’s Office had not negotiated a plea agreement with Taylor or his council before the plea.

Taylor was originally arrested and charged with traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act, electronic solicitation of a child and transmitting obscene material to a child in July of 2023. He was originally arrested by the Boaz Police Department with help from the Marshall County DA’s Office and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.

Bray said Taylor was arrested after several days where he carried out a sexually explicit conversation with an undercover confidential informant who Taylor believed to be a 14-year-old child. She said the conversations included graphic photos and videos.

The district attorney said ultimately Taylor arranged to meet the individual to engage in sexual activity but was instead confronted by Boaz police officers.

Traveling to meet a child for a sex act is a class A felony punishable by 10-99 years or life in prison. Bray said the charge includes conduct where the person is talking to a child or someone they believe to be a child.

Taylor is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on Oct. 7, 2024.

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