Officers from the Douglas Police Department and Coffee County Sheriff’s Office didn’t show Jerome Taft, 65, of Douglas, much love on the morning of Valentine’s Day when Taft called 911 to erroneously report that his truck had been stolen the night before.
On the morning of February 14, 2025, Taft reported that his vehicle had been stolen from Super 8 Motel in Douglas. Shortly before a member of the Douglas Police Department made contact with him, someone at the sheriff’s office recognized Taft’s name as that of a registered sex offender. The DPD was informed that if this was indeed David Taft, he should be detained for questioning, as he had failed to register his vehicle with the sheriff’s office and had not informed them of his new address.
When DPD officers arrived at the motel, they confirmed that it was the right Jerome Taft and he was promptly detained and taken into custody. Taft, who was convicted in August 2003 of child molestation, was in violation of the law for failing to register his change of address as a sex offender and for not complying with registration requirements.
The investigation revealed that Taft had gotten drunk the night before and did not recall lending his truck to his girlfriend. This information only came to light after he was in custody and sobered up.
As per Georgia law, a registered sex offender must report all vehicles they own or operate. They are also obligated to notify the Sheriff’s Office at least 72 hours before moving, even if it’s within the same county. Under Georgia Code 42-1-12, Taft could face a prison sentence ranging from one to 30 years for each violation.
Taft remains in the Coffee County Jail.