A major who once commanded the Savannah-Chatham police department's special operations unit was arrested Wednesday as part of a coordinated, multi-agency investigation of Internet child pornography.
Douglas Burkhalter, 70, was arrested on a felony charge of computer child exploitation. Officers with metro police booked him into the Chatham County jail.
Michelle Gavin, spokeswoman for the Chatham County Sheriff's Office, said she could not verify late Wednesday night how Burkhalter was being housed, but she said typically, law enforcement, attorneys and other people in criminal justice are not held in the general population.
Burkhalter retired about six years ago.
He was one of 98 suspects identified as part of a three-month investigation led by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Law officers served search warrants in 37 counties Wednesday.
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