Grovetown police set up sting for Appling man accused of sending explicit messages to a child

The Grovetown Police Department last week arrested an Appling man for allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to a 12-year-old.

Evan Popplewell, 30, of Appling, is charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes and two counts of obscene internet contact with a child.

A member of the Waynesboro Police Department, who is assigned to the GBI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was contacted on May 29 by Popplewell through a social media app, according to a news release from Grovetown Police Chief Jamey Kitchens.

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Popplewell allegedly believed he was talking to a 12-year-old and began sending sexually explicit messages, according to the release. Throughout the investigation, police said Popplewell was reminded several times that he was talking to a juvenile, yet he continued to send lewd messages and made several requests to meet the child in person to perform sexual acts.

Popplewell traveled to Grovetown on Thursday believing he was going to meet the child in the parking lot of the Neighborhood Walmart on Wrightsboro Road, according to police. Surveillance was established ahead of time by Grovetown and Waynesboro units who then watched Popplewell arrive and park in the vehicle he had described.

When Popplewell exited his vehicle he was taken into custody, noted police. He suffered minor injuries during the arrest and was taken to a local hospital for treatment before being committed to the Columbia County Detention Center.