30 Arrested In Online Child Pornography Sting

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — A total of 30 people, including a man from Douglasville, were arrested in a sting operation targeting people who exploit children on the internet.

In Georgia, 17 people were arrested in what authorities are calling Operation Southern Impact.

The multi-agency operation in Georgia and Alabama focused on suspects who possess and distribute child pornography and those who are sexually exploiting children in other ways using the internet.

"Operation Southern Impact has given us an opportunity to share our experience, information, and resources
across units, agencies, and state lines, to make sure that there is no safe place to hide for criminals who would victimize the most vulnerable among us," the task force said in a news release.

The planning for the operation began about three months ago, authorities say and culminated in two days of executing search warrants and arresting suspects in the two states.

A total of 54 search warrants were executed in Georgia and Alabama.

Law enforcement officers were looking for evidence of possession and distribution of child pornography and other illegal online activities.
Over the course of the investigation, 162 digital devices were examined and 731 devices and pieces of digital media were seized as evidence.
In Georgia, the people who were arrested as part of the operation were:

• David Potts, Cumming, GA, 61 years of age, retired
• Tyler Quarles, Winterville, GA, 24 years of age, store clerk
• Parker Hoekstra, Smyrna, GA, 22 years of age, student
• Robert Peters, Winston, GA, 73 years of age, retired
• Kenneth Flowers, Dallas, GA, 54 years of age, engineer/small business owner
• Corey Moore, Savannah, GA, 38 years of age, unemployed
• Russell Love, Jr., Swainsboro, GA, 48 years of age, unemployed
• Kevin Tanner, Kite, GA, 40 years of age, production line worker
• Dwight Watson, Canton, GA, 43 years of age, addiction counseling pastor
• Jonathan Hurwitz, Evans, GA, 48 years of age, military cybersecurity personnel
• Benjamin Brinker, Lawrenceville, GA, 30 years of age, construction
• Daniel Ridley, Cornelia, GA, 34 years of age, fencing company employee
• Kerry Williams, Columbus, GA, 56 years of age, mechanic
• Roger McDonald, Valdosta, GA, 61 years of age, Registered Nurse
• Shane Murphy, Winder, GA, 37 years of age, unemployed
• Jason Herrin, of Douglasville, GA, 27 years of age, restaurant employee
• Erik Nateras, of Atlanta, GA, 27 years of age, unknown

Those arrested in Georgia were charged with crimes pursuant to the state's Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 2007. Additional charges may be forthcoming and other arrests may occur after analysis of seized digital devices.

Georgia's branch of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made 244 arrests in 2015.

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