A former Wetumpka firefighter will be 62 when he is released from prison.
John Cole Carter, 32, of Elmore was sentenced Thursday by 19th Circuit Court Judge Joy Booth for transmitting obscene material, possession of child porngraphy, second-degree sex abuse, electronic solicitation of a child and enticing a child for immoral purposes.
“There is no doubt what you did is despicable,” Booth said at sentencing. “You are 32 years old. You are a grown man. You have a huge ego and thought you could get away with it.”
Carter pleaded guilty last month to sending inappropriate images and encouraging two teenage girls to perform explicit acts. One of the victim's impact statements said there could be more victims listing six names.
“While you left [your wife] at home with your son, you were at the fire station staying up ‘til 3 in the morning talking to all of us like we were only good for our bodies,” the victim said. “You are not a good person for what you did to us. You have forever screwed up mine and her lives.”
The 13 year-old victim said she knew what they were doing was wrong.
“But you made me think you loved me and it was OK to do this,” the victim said. “You knew my mom [and your wife] was suspicious about how close and flirty our relationship started to seem. Once [your wife] said something to my mother we stopped hanging out.”
The mother blocked Carter in the child’s phone but Carter still conducted the young teenage girl.
“You were smart enough to find apps such as Pinterest and Notes and we could send pictures and videos,” the victim said. “You made me feel like I was special.”
Assistant district attorney Brittney Pinon said Carter groomed the first victim and it aided in grooming a second victim who was in court in January when Carter pleaded guilty.
“When you looked at me in court, I could tell you had no remorse for the things you did to us,” said the victim in her impact statement.. “At the age of 31 you decided to mess with 13 year old girls while you were married and had a child. You are not a good person. You are sick in the head. I hope you get help in your time in prison.”
The first victim’s father said he thought he knew and could trust Carter with his daughter.
“I looked at you the whole time you were manipulating my child,” the father said. “You were supposed to be a family friend who not only betrayed us but your own family.”
Pinon said the evidence was voluminous. One phone alone had more than 500 pieces of evidence including, video, images and audio of the two girls and Carter. Some of it was shown in court.
As Carter’s father held his son from behind in the courtroom, friends and family testified Carter graduated with a double major at Auburn University while serving as an EMT and firefighter in Auburn Fire Department. At the same time tears were shed by Carter’s family and friends in the courtroom. Carter is said to be caring, giving, hardworking and intelligent.
Pinon told Judge Booth the case has caused much strife in the community with misinformation.
“Since day one there has been so much twisting of what actually took place,” Pinon said. “There have been so many narratives told to the community that the defendant is a scapegoat or [district attorney’s office] somehow have a vendetta against this family.”
Pinon said the office just followed the evidence. It was voluminous and defense attorney Richard White agreed. Because of attorney client privilege, White said he didn’t tell Carter’s the complete truth. It was at the time of Carter’s second arrest, the information was put on the table for the parent’s at Carter’s request. White said it showed Carter was taking responsibility for what he did.
“It was what he wanted,” White said. “It was his ego. I think he thought he was going to beat this.”
That was at the time Carter’s family first hired White.
District attorney C.J. Robinson said he wanted the truth to come out in the case. It is the reason he, the rest of the district attorney’s office and law enforcement seek to find every time.
“There were children in this case that were preyed upon,” Robinson said. “They were manipulated. He was a sexual predator and these two girls' lives are changed forever. Now the person who did it has had to stand accountable and they are going to prison.”
Charges of facilitating travel for child sex, transmitting obscene material to a child, one count of electronic solicitation of a child and a count of enticing a child were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
