ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Jeremy Hagan was arrested in March 2014 after investigators said he tried to lure young children in east Orange County neighborhoods.
"He had his window down and he was blowing kisses at her, trying to convince her to get in the car and stuff," the mother of one girl said.
"He asked me, 'Oh, do you need a ride home? I can take you in my car and stuff. You can sit in the front seat and stuff,'" one victim told detectives. "I started saying, 'Help, help, help!' and that's when the guy started driving off."
Following Hagen's arrest, investigators said they searched his home and electronic devices, where they found more than 300 images of child pornography.
On Wednesday some parents told Channel 9's Kenneth Craig that they were surprised to learn that Hagen was offered a plea deal that would send him to prison for 15 years. A judge gave him until Thursday morning to decide.
Prosecutors had previously told Hagen that if he didn't accept the plea deal by April 1, they would add 85 more child pornography charges. When he hadn't accepted by that date, the charges were added.
"The state is saying, 'Look, take the pleas as offered because if you don't, we're going to heap on so many charges that the 15 years is going to look like a gift,'" WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said.
If Hagen accepts the deal by Thursday those charges would not be pursued, however if he doesn't the additional charges could result in a prison sentence of more than 100 years if he were to be found guilty.
Prosecutors said they offered the original 15-year deal because it came with a solid prison sentence, sex offender status and it avoided putting children on the witness stand.
Previous Story: New charges filed against Orange County man accused of trying to lure children
WFTV
