Man Tried To Meet Girl For Sexual Contact: Cops

WOODSTOCK, GA — A Kennesaw man has been arrested after he allegedly tried to meet a juvenile for sexual contact in Cherokee County, according to authorities.

The Cherokee Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division Internet Crimes Against Children Unit intercepted Thomas Arthur Ward's alleged attempts Wednesday at the CHILL Hockey rink at 7545 Main Street in Woodstock.

Cherokee Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Marianne Kelley said the unit arrested the "traveler" on March 28 at the outdoor pavilion at the rink, which is behind the Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency's office and adjacent to the sheriff's office's Criminal Investigations Division.

A traveler is described as a person who "travels a distance to meet a juvenile for the purpose of an immoral or indecent act or the furtherance of said act," the sheriff's office added.

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Sgt. Kelley said the ICAC unit began its investigation while using the Whisper app, a tool that allows for anonymous contact between parties. The agency said Ward allegedly used the app to set up a meeting with a female juvenile at the Woodstock location.

"There have been previous reports of Cherokee County juveniles being victimized on this same app," the sheriff's office added.

Ward, 60, is charged with six counts of obscene contact with a child and one count of distribution of obscene materials to a minor. He remains at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center without bond.

Photo: Thomas Arthur Ward. Credit: Cherokee Sheriff's Office