GBI charges 34 in Georgia, 76 overall in child exploitation crackdown

The GBI arrested 34 people in Georgia in a child exploitation crackdown.

The GBI arrested 34 people in Georgia in a child exploitation crackdown.

A total of 76 people were arrested, including 34 in Georgia, in a GBI-led operation against child pornography and sexual exploitation of children, the agency announced Friday.

Six of those arrested in Georgia traveled for the purpose of meeting and having sex with a minor, the GBI said.

The joint effort, called Operation Southern Impact II, was coordinated by nine Internet Crimes Against Children task forces in eight states: Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Eight registered sex offenders were encountered in Georgia, and four of them were charged with new offenses related to child porn, according to the agency.

During the operation, which began about four months ago, 474 digital media and devices were seized as evidence in Georgia.

Arrestees in the state were 17 to 63 years old, the GBI said. Occupations included church youth director, disc jockey, construction worker, truck driver, restaurant worker, postal employee, online tutor and Air Force base employee.

For more details, and to see the people in Georgia who were arrested, click here.

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