As a result of a three-month investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, search warrants are being executed today in 37 Georgia counties, including Chatham and Effingham counties, in connection with the distribution of child porn over the Internet.
It is the largest operations of its kind in Georgia conducted by the state’s ICAC Task Force, authorities reported.
Ninety-eight suspects have been identified by authorities as distributing child porn over the Internet and are targeted for search warrants in today’s operation.
The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office announced that five individuals were arrested following five search warrants, which were executed early Wednesday morning. ECSO investigators executed the search warrants at a residence in Springfield and at four separate locations in Chatham County.
All suspects, who are adult males, are currently being booked in the Effingham County jail and face charges of sexual exploitation of a child.
Known as “Operation Guarding Innocence”, the state-wide endeavor includes 50 teams representing 47 federal, state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.
The operation, which ran from January through March, was conducted by GBI agents and local affiliates that are members of the Georgia ICAC Task Force, who detected specific child porn images being shared over the Internet, the GBI said.
The following agencies are participating in the operation:
- Savannah – Metro Police Department
- Effingham County Sheriff’s Office
- Georgia Bureau Of Investigation
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- U.S. Secret Service
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Federal Bureau Of Investigation
- U.S. Marshal Service
- Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms And Explosives
- U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District Of Georgia
- U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District Of Georgia
- U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District Of Georgia
- Houston County Sheriff’s Office
- Gwinnett County Police Department
- Atlanta Police Department
- Cobb County Police Department
- Newton County Sheriff’s Office
- DeKalb County Police Department
- Henry County Police Department
- Walton County Sheriff’s Office
- Paulding County Sheriff’s Office
- Kingsland Police Department
- Sandy Springs Police Department
- Liberty County Sheriff’s Office
- Clayton County Police Department
- Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
- Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
- Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
- St. Mary’s Police Department
- Camden County Sheriff’s Office
- Loganville Police Department
- Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office
- Army CID
- Athens-Clarke Police Department
- Coweta County Sheriff’s Office
- Union City Police Department
- Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office
- Roswell Police Department
- Watkinsville Police Department
- Powder Springs Police Department
- Lamar County Sheriff’s Office
- Warner Robins Police Department
- Columbus Police Department
- Bartow County Sheriff’s Office
- Marietta Police Department
- Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
- Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office