Georgia residents may be interested in how cyber crime and sexual misconduct online is currently being battled.
A Georgia man is in prison for driving across the state line with the intention of having sex with a 34 year old mother and her eight year old daughter. He has been charged with sex crimes which include sexual exploitation of children.
The man had explicit conversations online with the woman and specifically stated that he wanted to have sex with both her and her daughter. After driving across state lines, according to Internet crimes officials, the man was met by members of the sheriff’s office and the woman, who was an undercover police officer.
The strategy of utilizing undercover law enforcement to build a rapport online with sexual predators and then arresting them is part of the newly developed Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, developed through the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Since the development of the task force, more than 20 predators have been arrested. Law enforcement is continuing the investigation against the Georgia man. His computer and belongings will also likely be investigated for possession of child pornography.
Sexual misconduct and sex crimes involving child sexual abuse, whether online or in person, are serious allegations which result in prison time and permanent damage to reputation. It is important for not only parents and children to be aware of their online activity, but also those that have contact with children to be just as aware. Because of the aggressive prosecution involved in such serious cases, it is always possible to wander into a false accusation, which can have an equally tragic and permanent effect on a person’s personal and professional life.
Source: The Charlotte Observer, “Man faces online sexual exploitation charge,” Jonathan McFadden, Aug. 30, 2012
