10 charged in Clayton County child pornography sting

A monthslong child pornography investigation led to the arrests of 10 people in Clayton County, including two suspects who were accused of child molestation in the past.

The arrests stemmed from a four-month GBI operation into the possession and distribution of child pornography, officials said Tuesday in a news release. Those charged range in age from 19 to 64, and at least five children were identified as victims, authorities said.

The sting resulted in 17 search warrants and 15 “knock-and-talk” interviews with potential suspects, according to the GBI. During those searches, 130 digital devices were examined and more than 30 computers, cellphones and tablets were seized as evidence.

“The joint effort focused on persons who possess and distribute child sexual abuse images and those who are sexually exploiting children in other ways using technology and the internet,” the GBI said in its release.

According to the agency, the number of people sharing child pornography over the internet in Georgia is on the rise. In 2019, the GBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received more than 7,000 cybertips about inappropriate images involving children. Through the first six months of this year, it received 6,000 more.

“These cybertips most often involve horrific child sexual abuse images and videos involving children of all ages, including very young children, but also can involve the online enticement of children and child sex trafficking,” authorities said. “There is a known statistical correlation between those who are seeking, collecting and viewing child sexual abuse material and those that have sexually abused children or are actively sexually abusing children.”

So far this year, officials have found nearly 60 children living in the homes of suspects caught with child porn, and at least one-third of them have been identified as victims of sexual abuse, according to the GBI.

In the Clayton County sting, seven children were living with adults who possessed or distributed child porn, the agency said.

Those arrested and charged last week were:

In addition to the two suspects who were previously accused of child molestation, a third was questioned in connection with an earlier child pornography investigation, according to authorities. The GBI did not identify which suspects had previous run-ins with law enforcement.

Officials said additional charges are likely and more arrests are expected following a search of the seized computers and phones.

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