Operation Safe Summer Identifies 149 Exploited Children

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — The FBI Atlanta Field Office said Operation Safe Summer, an effort to crack down on child sexual exploitation around metro Atlanta, has identified more than 100 missing/exploited children, including one victim who was recovered during an investigation into prostitution in Sandy Springs.

Operation Safe Summer was a collaborative effort by 38 state, local and federal law enforcement agencies led by the FBI Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force. From May 1-25, the operation worked to "combat child exploitation and child sex trafficking and make our community safer for our children heading into the summer months," the FBI said.

The results of the operation, according to the FBI, include identifying or locating 149 missing or exploited children between the ages of 3 and 17; recording 158 arrests/citations/indictments/sentencing and making 1,674 law enforcement contacts to include compliance checks, law enforcement operations or executing warrants.

The operation kicked off before the start of the summer season to send "an important message at a time the community’s children are most vulnerable to becoming targets for exploitation," the FBI added.

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In Sandy Springs, a girl under the age of 18 was rescued by police conducting an investigation into suspected prostitution that led them to Courtyard by Marriott at 6250 Peachtree Dunwoody Road. At around 8:30 p.m. May 11, police confronted Jaquan Barnes, 22, who was wanted on attempted murder and probation violation charges out of South Carolina.

"Officers observed Barnes bring a female under the age of 18 to the location for sexually explicit conduct," Sandy Springs police spokesperson Capt. Forrest Bohannon previously told Patch.

Sandy Springs officers approached Barnes, who got into his vehicle and tried to move his car, which struck two SSPD police cars in the process. Two Sandy Springs police officers discharged their weapons and one of those rounds struck the suspect. Cops apprehended Barnes, and he was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Barnes was released and booked into the Fulton County Jail on charges of human trafficking, aggravated assault on a police officer, felony obstruction, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. The officer-involved shooting is under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Federal partners in Operation Safe Summer include Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Attorney’s Office and state agencies involved include the GBI, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice and the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

County and city law enforcement agencies and task forces that also took part in the operation include Gwinnett, DeKalb, Cobb and Clayton County police departments; Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett County sheriff's offices; Gwinnett, Cobb and Fulton County Schools police departments; the District Attorney's Offices of Gwinnett, DeKalb, Fulton and Cobb; Marietta, College Park, East Point, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Atlanta, MARTA, Kennesaw, Alpharetta, Forest Park, Sandy Springs, Norcross police departments; and the Johns Creek-Alpharetta-Forsyth County Drug Task Force.

Nonprofit organizations National Center for Missing Exploited Children, Georgia Cares and 4Sarah also assisted in the month-long investigation.

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