A sting operation in Hall County targeting online child predators netted 10 arrests this week.
An undercover Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigation culminated Nov. 27 with the arrest of the final suspect in Operation Good Shepherd, a concentrated effort targeting online child predators.
Officers with the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations division began the operation in late-October, participating in online communication with adults who believed they were having exchanges with minors. During the effort, investigators had interaction with subjects through various mobile applications, including social media platforms and text messaging.
Individuals identified in the operation range in age from 24 to 47 and live in Georgia cities stretching from Cleveland to Lilburn. The offenses included but were not limited to offers of money to a child to perform sexual acts, sending obscene images and describing sex acts.
Law enforcement began taking subjects into custody Nov. 21 with arrests occurring on an almost daily basis thereafter.
The Floyd County Police Department and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office made one arrest each in the operation in their respective jurisdictions. Hall County Investigators made the remaining eight.
Operation Good Shepherd was carried out in collaboration with the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Floyd County Police Department.
While the operation has concluded, each case remains under investigation by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, and additional charges are possible.
“I’m very proud of the efforts of our own Criminal Investigations Division in heading up and executing this operation,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said. “I’m confident the hard work of our team and partner agencies in this effort will make the community safer for our children.”
