Cedar Rapids man faces up to 14 years for enticing minor

CEDAR RAPIDS — One of the Cedar Rapids men charged in a police sting targeting individuals attempting to contact minors for sex in June, pleaded guilty Thursday to all charges and faces up to 14 years in prison.

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Coady Wayne Tallman, 34, pleaded guilty to enticing a minor under 16 and sex offender registry violation — providing false information second or subsequent offense, both Class D felonies, and two charges of telephone dissemination of obscene material to a minor, both aggravated misdemeanors.

His trial was previously set to start next week in Linn County District Court.

In his written plea, Tallman admitted to sending sexual messages and sexually explicit photos to a boy he believed was 14 years old, but was actually an undercover police officer posing as the minor online. He admitted to doing it with the intent to commit an illegal sex act.

Tallman, in the plea, also admitted he didn’t report the online accounts he used when he updated his sex offender registration. He was convicted of a sex offense and has previous sex offender registry violations, according to the plea agreement.

According to a criminal complaint, officers were posing as the 14-year-old boy using an online dating app when Tallman contacted the “teen.” Tallman sent the photos after knowing the boy was underage. He also sent a Snapchat to the teen and asked the teen to meet him in Daniels Park, 940 Oakland Rd. NE, in Cedar Rapids.

Investigators created spoof accounts as part of a sting

Six others were charged with enticing a minor under age 16 as part of the sting operation between June 11 and 18. Police investigators created several spoof accounts on dating apps and websites and pretended to be underage.

The Linn County Attorney’s Office dismissed charges against one man, Seton Kelly Smith, 48, of Hampton, due to insufficient evidence.

Others charged:

Tallman’s sentencing is set for Dec. 3.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com