FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
April 25, 2018
Steve Marshall
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
AG MARSHALL ANNOUNCES SENTENCING OF MONTGOMERY DAYCARE
OFFICE MANAGER FOR ELECTRONIC SOLICITATION OF A CHILD
(MONTGOMERY)–Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the office
manager of a Montgomery daycare center has been sentenced for electronic solicitation of a
child. Deggi Hardwick, 34, was sentenced to 10 years, which was suspended, and a term of
five years of supervised probation. The Attorney General’s Office had requested that he be
sentenced to serve a term of imprisonment but that was not granted by the Court.
Hardwick will be subject to the requirements of Alabama’s Sex Offender Notification and
Community Registration Act.
The daycare center, JAAD’s Child Care, is owned by Hardwick’s family. The
Attorney General’s Office had obtained a court order to bar him from this or any daycare
facility while the charge was pending and he remains barred after his conviction in March.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Trials Division prosecuted the case and presented
the following evidence to the Court: Hardwick had known the victim, who was 15 at the
time of the crime, since she was in care at the facility when she was two years old. In
August of 2016, Hardwick began sending sexually graphic texts to the victim, including
requests for the child to text nude pictures, offers to perform oral sex with each other, and
sexual intercourse.
“We are deeply disappointed that the Court did not order this defendant to serve
time in prison, but this prosecution still has achieved significant safeguards to keep him
from harming another child,” said Attorney General Marshall. “Under this sentence, his
behavior will be supervised, he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life,
he will have tight restrictions from places such as daycares and schools, and communities
will be notified of the threat he poses. Deggi Hardwick held a position of authority and
trust for this victim since she was a baby, and his violation of that is a contemptible crime
that he will not be able to hide from. As Attorney General for Alabama, I will do
everything within my power to protect our children from vile predators, and I am proud of
the outstanding work by my Criminal Trials Division.”
Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Andrew
Arrington of his Criminal Trials Division; Sarah Green, director of the Attorney General’s
Office of Victim Services, and Jackie Fowler, victim service officer; and thanked Detective
Zhong Zhu of the Montgomery Police Department, for their skill and dedication in bringing
this case to a successful conclusion.
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501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
