Georgia man faked his disappearance to escape child porn charges, police say

Photo shows Cody Magee. (Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police)

A Georgia man who was thought to be missing at while kayaking off the coast was arrested in Oklahoma City Wednesday after trying to avoid criminal charges.

Cody Magee, 38, of Effingham, was presumed missing after he failed to return home from kayaking near Tybee Island on April 17. He was found in Oklahoma City Wednesday after a traffic stop, Savannah-Chatham County police spokesman Sonny Cohrs told the Savannah Morning News.

Oklahoma City police Sgt. Gary Knight said authorities found a handgun and rifle in Magee’s car. Magee had been indicted in Effingham County for criminal attempt to commit child molestation, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and child pornography, police said.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Magee last June after undercover investigators posing online as a young teenager lured him to a home, said Sgt. Don White of the Effingham County Sheriff's Office.

"He was chatting with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl," White said. "He wanted to act out some rape fantasies with her."

The Savannah Morning News reported Magee’s wife called police Monday morning after he failed to return home from a kayak trip in Lazaretto Creek. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Savannah-Chatham police marine patrol unit searched the waters.

Hours after his disappearance was reported, Magee’s kayak was found washed ashore on a beach, Cohrs said. Authorities still scoured the area for any signs of Magee, but eventually stopped before his arrest.

Cohrs said Magee staged his disappearance to avoid a court appearance in Effingham County. Police issued a bench warrant for his arrest Monday when he didn’t show up for court.

White called the situation unique, but the search wasted a lot of resources.

“(Incidents) like this don’t happen very often,” he said. “It’s very weird for us. Cases like this draw the attention of officers from everywhere and take the attention away from other crimes that are actually committed, and it hurts the community.”

Georgia authorities were working to extradite Magee.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.