Who is Cole Wagner? Former anti-abortion leader arrested over child crime charges

On Wednesday, July 19, Cole Wagner was arrested for s*xual abuse of a child under the age of 12. Wagner, an employee with the Alabama Department of Education (ALSDE), was best known for his involvement in anti-abortion activism. Since Wagner’s alleged victim is a minor, their name is being withheld, and no other details have been released. According to the Alabama Political Reporter, the victim’s age may have been below 12.

In response to the shocking arrest, the ALSDE issued a statement on Thursday announcing that Wagner had been terminated from his position.

“The allegations against Mr. Wagner are serious, tragic, and shocking. While he was employed by our department for only a few months, Mr. Wagner has been terminated effective immediately. No further information is available at this time as the investigation is ongoing,” the statement read.

Cole Wagner is currently free on a $60,000 bond.

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All there is to know about Cole Wagner

Cole Wagner first emerged in the public light in 2018 when he began leading the anti-abortion committee alliance. Working with Pro-life Alabama, Wagner argued for a constitutional amendment that would undermine the right to carry out abortion procedures in Alabama.

Alabama Political Reporter (APR) stated that while the amendment was passed, it did not impact any abortion laws. Despite this, abortion was ultimately made illegal in the State after the supreme court overturned Roe v. Wade.

In 2018, Wagner spoke out publicly against abortion. He also discussed the potential reversal of Roe v Wade.

“Passage of Amendment Two on the statewide ballot will allow Alabama to begin protecting unborn life as soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court," he said.

"The Alliance for a Pro-Life Alabama is tasked with educating voters about the constitutional amendment and providing them with accurate and truthful information while, at the same time, refuting falsehoods and misinformation that may be disseminated by pro-abortion forces within the state,” he added.

Wagner's LinkedIn page indicated that he stopped working with the Alliance for a pro-life Alabama in 2019. In February 2023, when he started his role with the ALSDE, he posted:

"I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position in Government Relations at Alabama State Department of Education! Looking forward to helping Eric Mackey and his team serve Alabama students, teachers, and education administrators!"

As per Newsweek, in his capacity with ALSDE, Cole Wagner was primarily in charge of handling government relations. He primarily worked with Republican lawmakers to gain sponsors.

If convicted of the charges, Wagner could face up to 20 years in prison, according to The Messenger.