STEPHENS COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has announced the arrest of a 32-year-old man from Stephens County on charges of sexual exploitation of children.
The man was taken into custody following an investigation by the GBI's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit, which was aided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision.
The CEACC Unit began its investigation after receiving reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the man's online activity and the possible possession of child sexual abuse material. Searching his electronic devices led to his arrest and criminal charges being filed in Oconee County.
The GBI's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit is part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which works to identify and prosecute those involved in the trade of child sexual abuse material. The ICAC Program was created by the U.S. Department of Justice in response to the growing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the increased online activity by predators seeking unsupervised contact with underage victims.
GBI urges anyone with information about other child exploitation cases to contact the CEACC Unit at 404-270-8870 or to report it via the NCMEC CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
